Monegasque Irishman Eugene Laverty has made his MotoGP debut on the 2014 RCV1000R Production Honda on the first day of testing at Valencia this morning.

He is currently riding this year’s bike, vacated by Hiro Aoyama last night, while team-mate Nicky Hayden will share the 2015 RC213V-RS with Karel Abraham today. Jack Miller is also on this year’s bike, but in LCR colours.

At lunchtime, Laverty was taking things steady with 22 laps done and a best of 1’36.281, getting re-accustomed to Bridgestone tyres and carbon brakes. He has ridden with them before during a test for Suzuki in Japan and at Phillip Island.

pix by bonnie lane