BSB racer Bridewell to replace injured Laverty

Laverty was forced to withdraw from the Italian round after fracturing both his wrists in a practice crash at Acqua Minerale in first practice on Friday morning.

His Go Eleven team has picked BSB race winner Bridewell to take the Ulsterman's place, with the 30-year-old expected to arrive in Imola on Friday evening.

Bridewell last raced in WSBK back in 2008, but has a decade of experience in the British series, and currently campaigns a Ducati V4 R for the Moto Rapido squad.

A pair of second-place finishes in the most recent BSB round at Oulton Park puts Bridewell second in the current points standings behind McAMS Yamaha rider Tarran Mackenzie.

Paul Bird Ducati rider Josh Brookes, teammate of ex-MotoGP racer Scott Redding, took the V4's first BSB wins at Oulton.

Bridewell's best-ever BSB championship finish came in 2014 aboard a Shaun Muir Racing-run Yamaha, when he came third behind Shane Byrne and Ryuichi Kiyonari.

Tommy Bridewell, Milwaukee Yamaha

Photo by: John Rowley