HEAT, RAIN AND A TRACK TO LEARN DID NOT STOP THE SIX-TIME WORLD CHAMPION

Sepang (Malaysia), 24 March 2015 – Max Biaggi's return to the track and Aprilia at Misano Adriatico raised the enthusiasm of the fans and staff, especially considering the absolutely stellar performance. The second chance to see the six-time World Champion in action is scheduled for the weekend of 2 August when the number 3 RSV4 RF will take on the second wild card of the season on the Malaysian track of Sepang in the tenth WSBK round.

Precisely to prepare for this task, Max Biaggi and the Aprilia Racing test team conducted 4 days of tests at Sepang. This is a good opportunity for the Roman champion to get his bearings on a track where he has not raced for ten years and even then, never astride a Superbike. Unfortunately the unfavourable weather and a few technical problems kept Max from carrying out all of the scheduled work, postponing further tests for the race weekend.

Max Biaggi: “Unfortunately they were some unlucky tests. For 3 out of the 4 days we had available it rained. Of course I had to take a spill and we also had a couple technical problems that slowed down my work, but those are things that are just a part of racing. We hope to be more lucky next week. Sepang is still an exciting track, but the only black spot is that I found the asphalt to be rather more bumpy that I remembered it.”

Romano Albesiano (Aprilia Racing Manager): “Max hadn't been on this track for a long time, so that's why it was important to conduct these tests at Sepang. The nice result from Misano mustn't make us forget that Max has been out of racing for almost three years and certain mechanisms need to be recovered. Now our attention is entirely on next week. Since we can never quite take full advantage of the practice sessions, it will be important to continue our work from these past few days during the race weekend as well.”

Endurance racing specialists Prime Factors Racing has signed Steve Plater as Team Manager as they prepare for the Isle of Man TT, Roads and Endurance World Championship. Plater will start this new role from the World renowned Bol d'or event in September at the EWC finale, ready for a full assault in 2016!

Having secured the 2014 British Endurance Championship, Prime Factors Racing stepped up to the Superstock class in the FIM Endurance World Championship for 2015, enjoying a point scoring finish in their opening race at the iconic Le Mans 24hr. Looking to take another massive step forward in 2016, the Surrey based team will be entering the blue riband Superbike class (including the Suzuka 8HR) as well as campaigning on the 'roads' - making their debut at the North West 200 and Isle of Man TT.

Overseeing Prime Factors Racing's progression into these categories will be Steve Plater, who has signed as Team Manager. Plater is known for his wide experience having won races at British Superbike, Endurance, NW200 and Isle of Man TT events. The Lincolnshireman will be bringing his unrivalled knowledge to the team over the winter to ensure they arrive at the opening event in the best possible position.

The team are now currently in discussions with various manufacturers, partners and riders for the 2016 season which will be unveiled in due course.

Speaking after joining Prime Factors Racing, Team Manager Steve Plater said, "This is a really exciting opportunity. I'm looking forward to coming on-board with Prime Factors Racing and bringing my experience to this new chapter for the team. I've been involved in a managerial position with some various teams before, including the AIM team and Honda Racing, so I'm looking forward to working alongside Bruce - who will no doubt be busy enough on the retail side of Prime Factors!

Despite being a relatively new team, Prime Factors Racing has already shown their credentials by winning the British Endurance Championship and getting a strong start to their 2015 World Endurance Championship at Le Mans.

My first tasks will be to arrange our choice of machine, riders, tyres and the like for next year. We've got an idea of where we want to go so I'm looking forward to progressing this over the next few months. Then it will be my job to ensure we're shipshape for every race and keeping the staff happy, which is a vital part of ensuring that we achieve our goals for 2016."

Team Principal of Prime Factors Racing, Bruce Charman is equally as excited to be welcoming Steve to the team "2015 has seen the team move up from National to International level racing, which has been a real learning curve and successful so far.

Bringing Steve on to help prepare us for 2016 is another exciting step forward for the team and I'm positive it's going to see us achieve further success. It's a very big move as we'll not only be stepping up into the Superbike class of the World Endurance Championship but also taking on the challenges of the North West 200 and Isle of Man TT - something I'm particularly looking forward to having never been to either, despite working within motorcycling for many, many years!

I'm really looking forward to working alongside someone with the skills, pedigree and success that Steve has. The step up is certainly going to be a challenge for the team but it's a very exciting time and one I'm sure we'll excel at."

To complete the busy plans for the group, Prime Factors Motorcycles has recently opened to prepare and service bikes for track and road, all based out of their unit in Redhill, Surrey. The company is also a major distributor for BMW race equipment suppliers Alpha Racing.

Two of the Isle of Man TT Races fastest ever riders will be in action in the Classic TT presented by Bennetts with James Hillier and Conor Cummins contesting the event for Somerset-based CSC Racing, firmly signalling the team's intentions for this year's event.

Hillier, who took three podiums at this year's TT and lapped at 132.414mph to become the third fastest rider in the history of the event, has been a regular at the Classic TT on board the CSC Racing machines.

The 30-year old took sixth in the 2013 Bennetts 500cc Classic TT Race with a 101mph+ lap and will line up this year on a new 500-4 cylinder for the team, which should see him high up on the leaderboard and he will also ride for the team in the Okells 350cc Classic TT on another Honda machine.

Cummins, meanwhile, makes a welcome return to the Classic TT after missing last year's meeting and, like Hillier, the Honda Racing rider will contest the Bennetts 500cc Classic TT on a new 500-4 cylinder Honda machine. The Manxman failed to finish the race in 2013 when he was riding a Manx Norton for Dunnell Racing but he did take a good seventh in that year's Okells 350cc Classic TT.

In addition to Hillier and Cummins, CSC Racing has further strength in depth with Alex Sinclair riding a 350cc Drixton Honda for the team in the Okells 350cc Classic TT. Sinclair was out of luck at the event twelve months ago but had an excellent ride into eighth in 2013 when he also lapped at an impressive 97.480mph

CSC Racing team owner Steve Caffyn commented:

"We have not only two of the fastest TT riders riding for our team, but also two of the nicest guys in the paddock to work with and we are really looking forward to the Classic TT, with two riders capable of finishing on the podium."

"We are also delighted to be able to continue supporting Alex Sinclair who is one of the fastest young riders around racing Classic bikes and who we are sure will surprise a few people with his results this year."

Permanent exhibition at Ducati Motor Holding obtains the prestigious award for the fourth year running
• The Ducati Museum racks up a string of excellent reviews on the world’s greatest travel website
• More than 40,000 visitors to the Bologna-based museum every year

For the fourth year running the Ducati Museum has been awarded the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, a prestigious acknowledgment given to tourist facilities and attractions that are consistently given excellent reviews on the world’s largest travel website. The TripAdvisor Award reflects the high satisfaction ratings posted by the constant stream of visitors to the Ducati Museum which, in 2014 alone, attracted over 40,000 people from all over the world. TripAdvisor contributors gave the Ducati Museum a score (4.5 out of 5) that almost reached the website maximum.

To select the winners of the Certificate of Excellence, TripAdvisor uses a special algorithm that takes into account a range of factors such as the quality, quantity and relevance of the reviews. It also considers the opinions posted by travellers over the last 12 months, the position of the attraction in the site’s popularity rankings and how long it has been in those rankings.

The Ducati Museum, actually located inside the motorcycle production plant, takes visitors into the past, letting them discover the origins of Ducati and admire the bikes that have written international motorcycling history. Inaugurated in 1998, the Museum covers an area of about 850 square metres and offers a unique insight into over half a century of motorcycle racing. The Museum showcases the very best ever built by Ducati: from the products of the pre-motorcycle era and the famous 1946 Cucciolo, to the Desmosedici GP that won the World Motorcycling Championship. This history journey passes through seven different theme-based multimedia rooms organised by Livio Lodi, the museum’s curator; here, the bikes live on with the thrills they once generated, thanks to vintage footage, accessories and curios, being able to recreate the entire Ducati saga. The Museum is thus a perfect representation of the Bologna-based motorcycle manufacturer’s unique history, which has combined technological innovation and design with exceptional sports performance.

The Ducati Museum can also be visited virtually on Google Maps: here, thanks to high definition images, it’s possible to enter the Red Passion Temple by following the famous Cavalieri Ducati street that takes you to the company and then exploring, right down to the last detail, the rooms and the displayed bikes. A fantastic opportunity to experience Ducati from anywhere in the world, anytime.

In 2012 the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities (Regional Supervisor of Cultural and Landscape Heritage of Emilia Romagna) declared the Ducati Museum, together with the motorcycle manufacturer’s archives, to be of outstanding historical and cultural importance, so much so that they are on the official archival heritage listings.

Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. - A Sole Shareholder Company - A Company subject to the Management and Coordination activities of AUDI AG

Founded in 1926, Ducati has been producing sport-inspired motorcycles since 1946. Today, their motorcycles are characterized by performance engines with Desmodromic valve actuation, innovative design and avant-garde technology. Covering several market segments, Ducati's range of motorcycles is divided into model families which include: Diavel, Hypermotard, Monster, Multistrada, Streetfighter, and Superbike. In 2015 Ducati presents the Ducati Scrambler: not just a new motorcycle but rather a new brand, offering a whole new world made up of bikes, accessories and apparel that provide the last word in self-expression.

These authentic icons of “made in Italy”, together with an extensive range of associated accessories and technical and lifestyle apparel, are distributed in 90 countries around the world, with concentration on the European, North American and Asia-Pacific markets. In addition to the Bologna factory located in the Borgo Panigale area, Ducati has a plant in Thailand, which opened in 2011 and assembles motorcycles for the Asian market, and, since 2012, another in Brazil that assembles motorcycles for South America. In 2014 Ducati delivered 45,100 motorcycles to customers, an all-time company record.

Ducati competes in both the World Superbike and MotoGP World Championships. In Superbike Ducati has won 17 Manufacturers' titles and 14 Riders' titles and in 2011 passed the historic milestone of 300 race victories. Ducati have participated in MotoGP since 2003, winning both the Manufacturers' and Riders' titles in 2007.

LEON HASLAM ON THE SECOND ROW WITH THE SIXTH BEST TIME

Laguna Seca, 18 July 2015 – The Laguna Seca Superpole brought Jordi Torres his first front row start in a Superbike race. The rookie rode his Aprilia RSV4 RF to the third best time, giving the excellent work done since yesterday a concrete conclusion, with an apprenticeship that had him improving lap after lap on a track that he is tackling for the first time.

For Jordi this was a great opportunity. The California track is short, demanding and has a few places suited for overtaking, conditions that make a good start particularly important. Keeping up with the fastest is also the prefect chance to learn some Superbike riding secrets, gaining fundamental experience for a rookie in the factory derivative category.

Jordi Torres: “Being on the front row here at Laguna Seca is a dream come true for me. When I first got here I never would have even imagined achieving this result. Playing the video games I would always win on this circuit which I have always liked, but being third in Superpole has a decidedly different taste. We did a good job and finally I was able to take full advantage of the soft tyre. It is just a first step and my goal in the race is to stay with the leaders to learn from them, using the battle to continue growing and improving my riding style. This is a short track with only a few points where you can overtake, so starting out front is essential.”

A few indecisions, on the other hand, kept Leon Haslam from putting his best foot forward during the qualifying session. The English Aprilia Racing Team - Red Devils rider, looking very good in terms of race pace, had a small problem in FP4 just before Superpole. At the decisive moment Leon had to wait a few minutes before getting onto the track, so he was forced to speed up the usual programme in the 15 available minutes. Despite this, and in spite of a few mistakes in his two flying laps, Haslam was still able to finish on the second row with the sixth best time, a starting grid spot that does not jeopardize his ambitions for the two races.

Leon Haslam: “It wasn't a perfect afternoon. In FP4 a small problem cost us some time and even at the beginning of Superpole I had to stay in the garage for a few minutes. Then, during the two laps with the qualifier tyre, I made a couple of mistakes that kept me off the front row. It's a shame because grip was really quite good and we had the potential for a better result. Now we just need to analyse everything that happened today and set up the changes we need to make for the races.”