Category: Superbikes

1. APRILIA ON THE PODIUM WITH LEON HASLAM

   Posted on 5:05pm Monday 22nd Jun 2015

   GREAT RETURN FOR MAX BIAGGI: HE BATTLED SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH THE CHAMPIONSHIP PROTAGONISTS AND FINISHED THE WEEKEND WITH TWO EXCELLENT SIXTH PLACES AND... 20 POINTS IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

   Misano Adriatico (Italy), 21 June 2015 – It was expected to be a celebration and a celebration it was. Max Biaggi – who will be 44 on Friday, wild card three years after retiring from racing – brought the skills of a six-time World Champion to the track: speed, precision and an always impeccable riding style.

   Max finished both Race 1 and Race 2 in sixth place. Despite hindrances due to tyre wear problems, Biaggi raced an exceptional second race, keeping pace with the leading protagonists of the World Superbike championship and finishing just 2 tenths of a second behind Sykes and about 5 seconds behind the winner.

   “Today Max did something wonderful for us at Aprilia and for all motorcycle racing fans” commented Romano Albesiano, Aprilia Racing Manager. “His domination on Friday was understandable, even if it was extraordinary. But today Max battled on the same level as the riders who fight for the World Championship in every race and he did it at a fantastic race pace. I'm pleased with the way everyone here at Aprilia, from the first to the last, interpreted this occasion. There were no problems, the riders and mechanics did great and Max had fun battling even with Leon and Jordi, our factory riders. We wanted to give ourselves, and everyone, a brilliant moment which has already gone down in Superbike history.”

   Albesiano also expressed his satisfaction with Haslam's podium, third in Race 2: “I'm happy about Leon's nice podium finish, especially because he finished very close to the leaders. Really a great performance. Without the tyre wear problems we had in Race 1, the RSV4 showed its potential and Leon was able to demonstrate all of his great personality on the track.” Romano Albesiano was also pleased with the Superstock 1000 results where Lorenzo Savadori and his RSV4 RF rode to victory: “A great job as always. Once again, he proved himself authoritatively in his home round.”

   As for the Aprilia Racing - Red Devils riders, Leon Haslam – once the tyre wear problem that hindered him in the first race was solved – rode the second race as a key player, battling with Davis for third place and finishing on the podium at just under 2 second behind the leader. Jordi Torres finished his Adriatic weekend with seventh place in Race 2 (battling with Biaggi) which is excellent in consideration of the tiny gaps behind the leaders, and thereby redeeming himself for his sliding crash that put him out of Race 1 in the third lap.

   Max Biaggi files away the Misano Sunday with 20 points in the championship standings: for statistics lovers, in his first wild card race he has already won the long-distance duel with Troy Bayliss, who in the four races at Phillip Island and Buriram earned 15 points in all.

   Max Biaggi: “I'm happy with this weekend. Everything went well and we didn't make any mistakes. Once again I'd like to thank the Piaggio Group, Aprilia and the guys from Noale who helped me take perfect advantage of this fantastic opportunity. Race 2 went better than the first. I finished about 5 seconds behind the winner, which is really not much at all. It's a shame about the first laps when you find yourself following from behind it's a struggle. I am still unable to take full advantage of the tyres straight away, whereas from mid-race I felt fast but struggling to overtake I lost a few tenths every lap. This type of return is definitely not easy, but it was a great weekend, tackled with a different spirit than someone who races full time in the championship. Now I'm hoping for the cherry on the top: Sepang. This round was sort of a running-in and we can consider it to be truly satisfactory. Next time we'll be able to do well.”

   Leon Haslam: “In Race 2 we took a big step forward, especially thanks to the higher temperature where my Aprilia RSV4 RF performs really well. It was a shame about the first phases. We were all very close and I lost a few precious metres in traffic. In Race 1, on the other hand, I made a few small mistakes. Grip wasn't the best and even though I felt fast on most of the track I lost ground at some points. Of the two available rear tyre options we went with the one that gave us more confidence even if the second, used by a few rivals, proved to work well in the this morning's conditions. All things considered I'm pleased with the two results. A podium in front of Italian fans is always a nice feeling. We were able to grow consistently throughout the weekend, improving precisely those critical points of our package. In hotter races like Malaysia and the USA we'll be able to do well.”

   Jordi Torres: In Race 1 I made a small mistake and unfortunately I crashed. In the second race, on the other hand, I learned from my mistakes and didn't repeat them. I started well and I wanted to stay with the leaders, but I was hindered by a strange vibration from the front wheel only at maximum lean in the left-handers that kept me from riding the way I wanted to, taking advantage of my best riding quality which is the way I ride in turns. In any case I think it was a positive weekend for me where we took a good step forward to stay with the leaders for the entire race.”

   SUPERSTOCK 1000: A GREAT SAVADORI, ONCE AGAIN AT MISANO AN APRILIA IN FRONT OF THE REST

   Lorenzo Savadori's masterpiece season continues, with the rider taking his Aprilia RSV4 RF to the lead in the Misano race as well.

   The Team Nuova M2 rider is dominating the category thanks to 4 wins out of the 6 races held thus far, with just two left in the season. His team mate, Kevin Calia, just missed the podium, taking the lead at the start and finishing fourth under the chequered flag by just one tenth of a second.

2. APRILIA ON THE PODIUM AT PORTIMÃO WITH LEON HASLAM

   Posted on 5:00pm Sunday 7th Jun 2015

   IN SUPERSTOCK 1000 LORENZO SAVADORI, FINISHING SECOND, CONFIRMS HIS LEADERSHIP AND THAT OF THE APRILIA RSV4

   Portimão, 7 June 2015 – Leon Haslam finished the Portuguese weekend brilliantly riding his Aprilia RSV4 RF to third place in Race 2. Leon's podium is the just reward for the hard work done by Aprilia Racing - Red Devils and the determination of the English rider, still struggling with rib pain from his accident at Imola.   

   In the first race Haslam was comfortably managing fourth place before the rains came in the fifteenth lap and forced all the riders to change tyres. Coming back out of pit lane, Leon had a bad slide in turn 5, slipping on the treacherous asphalt. He got back on the bike and finished in twelfth place.

   Starting Race 2 with severe pain in his side, aggravated by the crash in Race 1, Leon struggled for the first few laps and then found a good race pace. The English rider moved steadily up into third position and he was gaining on Giugliano who was in second place when the chequered flag came out.

   Leon Haslam: “I made a bad mistake in Race 1 sliding on the wet asphalt and making my ribs worse. In the second race, on the other hand, I lost too much time at the beginning, missing a couple of gear changes, and losing touch with the leading group. In the middle section of the race I had a good pace and was able to move up a few positions to third place. When I had started catching up Giugliano I began to lose my feeling with the front. I was about a second behind but the race was over at that point. Getting onto the podium was important both for me and for the team considering how hard the guys worked this weekend.”

   The two Portuguese races did not bring the results Jordi Torres had hoped for, despite the leap of quality demonstrated during the practice sessions. In the first race the Spanish rookie didn't get off to the best of starts so he was forced to make up positions. The rain toward the end of the race complicated matters: In fact, Jordi had never before ridden the RSV4 on the wet and he settled for finishing the race without taking any pointless risks.

   His start in Race 2 was good, as was the way he managed the middle part of the race. Only an abrupt loss of grip kept Jordi from a fifth place finish which was well within his reach.

   Jordi Torres: “This was a difficult weekend, but we made a lot of progress. The RSV4 works well here. We were able to improve even compared to yesterday with a small change we made before the races. In Race 1 I didn't start well. I was lacking confidence at the beginning. Then I set my pace until I was in about sixth place. Unfortunately the rain ruined everything. It was my first time riding the RSV4 in the wet and I was careful not to crash and ruin everything. In Race two I got off the line more aggressively and at mid-race I had the pace to defend sixth place well. But in the final laps I had a sudden loss of grip at the rear tyre. I didn't take any risks and I settled for bringing home some important points. Unfortunately during practice on a new track it isn't easy to make a good assessment of performance over race distance.”

   SUPERSTOCK 1000: APRILIA AND SAVADORI STILL FIRMLY IN THE LEAD IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP

   With his second place finish at Portimão, Lorenzo Savadori and the Team Nuova M2 Racing Aprilia RSV4 confirmed that they are in grand form. Thanks to a shortened race, Lorenzo managed his second place finish which allows him to keep a firm grip on the championship lead just three races from the end of the season.  

   Kevin Calia made his nth top-10 finish, seventh under the chequered flag and now ninth in the rider standings.

   The Manufacturer standings are also dominated by Aprilia who, thanks to the RSV4's positive streak (on the podium every race since the beginning of the season), now has a 25 point advantage over BMW in second place and Ducati in third.

    

    

3. Orellana wins again in Portugal‏

   Posted on 1:00pm Sunday 7th Jun 2015

   Javier Orellana took his fourth victory in five race today at Portimao in Portugal as the Pata European Junior Cup fifth round race took place at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve.

   The 10-lap race was red-flagged following a first corner incident involving two riders, neither of whom was seriously injured. In the restart, Orellana did not have it easy and enjoyed a six-lap battle with pole-sitter Sam Wilford and local Portuguese wildcard rider Pedro Nuno.

   However, the 17-year-old Spaniard timed his move to perfection going into the tight turn five on the final lap and was able to hold off his two challengers to take his fourth win and fifth podium finish of the season.

   Wilford finished second, cleverly drafting Nuno out of the final turn and onto the long drag for the line, finishing just 0.02s ahead of the Portuguese. In the FIM Europe Women’s European Cup, meanwhile, New Zeland’s Avalon Biddle was once again victorious.

4. APRILIA RACING TEAM GRESINI - Italian Grand Prix, Race

   Posted on 10:59am Monday 1st Jun 2015

   A VERY GENEROUS RACE AND TWO POINTS (14th PLACE) AT THE FINISH FOR BAUTISTA. MELANDRI FINISHES 18th. THE SEAMLESS GEARBOX PERFORMS WELL IN THE RACE.
   
   Mugello Circuit (Italy), 31 May 2015 – For the Mugello MotoGP round Alvaro Bautista put all of his generosity on the track and brought home a 14th place finish which is his best performance in this initial phase of the season to earn another two championship points for himself and for the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini. Marco Melandri had a more difficult race, finishing 18th.
   
   Just like when the RS-GP made its début at the beginning of this season, Alvaro expressed himself more skilfully in the race than in practice, significantly improving his position. One of the most awaited changes and innovations brought to the race this weekend was the début of the continuous shifting seamless gearbox which finished the race without any problems for both riders. This is another important milestone in the growth process for the Italian manufacturer's project.
   
   
   ROMANO ALBESIANO (Aprilia Racing Manager)
   “First of all I think the fact that we introduced some new important technology like the seamless gearbox is very positive, as well as the fact that both bikes finished the weekend without any problems whatsoever, both during practice and in the race. This marks and important step forward in our development schedule of the technology we need to compete in MotoGP. As always Bautista raced very professionally and skilfully. Now we need to help him improve his performance so he can increase his race pace.”
   
   FAUSTO GRESINI (Team Manager)
   “Today with Alvaro we collected two points that we can certainly consider useful for morale. Now let's just say that we need to work to earn them... with more overtaking. This weekend we brought a lot of technical changes to the track and we are pleased. There is still a lot of work left to be done but that certainly doesn't frighten us. We are doing our best to be more competitive and we will continue to do so enthusiastically.”
   
   ALVARO BAUTISTA
   “Throughout the weekend we worked on improving the situation going in and coming out of turns, also taking a few small steps forward. To be honest I expected to lap a half a second faster, but the conditions slowed me down a bit, probably because of the track that had changed, with less grip on the tarmac compared to the practice sessions. So I tried to maintain the most consistent pace possible and in the end we made our best placing of the season, right here in the team's Home Grand Prix. I'm pleased even if it is clear that there is still much work to be done. In any case I would like to thank the entire team, Aprilia, our sponsors and also all the fans that came out to support us and now we'll be trying to take some steps forward for the next round in Barcelona.”
   
   MARCO MELANDRI
   “It wasn't easy to ride because I continued to have various setup problems so I had a difficult race. Aprilia made a big effort bringing various technical innovations here, including the seamless gearbox that works well, but now I need some chassis changes that can help me.”

5. FIRST DAY OF MOTOGP PRACTICE AT MUGELLO

   Posted on 5:15pm Friday 29th May 2015

   The seamless gearbox makes its debut on the Aprilia RS-GP bikes ridden by Bautista and Melandri. The chassis and setups have also undergone many changes
   
   Mugello Circuit (Italy), 29 May 2015 - The first day of free practice at the Italian Grand Prix forced Aprilia Racing Team Gresini to set an extraordinary work pace. In fact, if the entire 2015 season is set up as a long and demanding test of the MotoGP project's growth for the Italian team, the home round is characterised by a series of development changes on the Aprilia V4.
   
   As already announced, the seamless gearbox made its début on Friday. This is a continuous shifting system which, after the tests that only Bautista conducted at the post-Jerez sessions, here it is available for both riders. Some changes to the setup and chassis arrived as well for the RS-GP bikes. A series of new solutions tested directly in the races in accordance with the spirit of this championship season.
   
   At the end of the first day Alvaro finished in 21st place (1’49.741) whereas Melandri had the 26th best time at 1’51.800.
   
   
   ROMANO ALBESIANO (Aprilia Racing Manager)
   “We brought the seamless gearbox to the races for the first time. It worked very well with both riders and this is an important step taken. It is quite significant that even Melandri, who also tried the bike with the conventional gearbox today, confirmed the clear difference between the two solutions. Marco also tried a front end with various rigidity but that doesn't seem like the right direction for us. At the moment we are focusing a lot on the setup because that's where we want to improve the most.”
   
   FAUSTO GRESINI (Team Manager)
   “We are really working a lot on various areas of the bike, trying a lot of new parts, so in this first phase we certainly couldn't expect immediate progress. We are continuing our policy of baby steps and we hope to see the first signs of progress as early as tomorrow. We are all fully committed, from Aprilia to the team and the riders, so we will continue to stay focused and confident as tomorrow approaches.”
   
   ALVARO BAUTISTA
   “This morning I tried a more tapered saddle with new ergonomics which make me feel a bit more comfortable on the bike, in addition to the seamless gearbox and an engine evolution. On the gearbox I had the same good feelings as the tests at Jerez so I'm satisfied. In the afternoon I tried a smaller fairing which performed well in the wind tunnel and on the track it also seems to provide some advantages in terms of more agility. The bike still tends to go wide coming into turns but tomorrow I'll have both the bikes fitted with all the changes so it will be easier to focus on chassis comparisons, which is the area where I think we have the most room for improvement.”
   
   MARCO MELANDRI
   “Today I was able to try the new seamless gearbox for the first time and it works well. Aprilia did a good job. As for the chassis the situation hasn't changed and I had the same problems that have continued to slow me down since the beginning of the year. So tomorrow we'll try to work more on the chassis to improve.”