2012 World Superbike
This past weekend, Aprilia Racing Team riders Max Biaggi and Eugene Laverty were quest stars at the Piaggio Group Americas Dealer Convention in Miami, Fla.
Besides representing Piaggio, which owns Aprilia, at the convention that drew iaggio Group dealers from the USA and Canada as well as the distributors from Latin America, Biaggi and Laverty talked about the 2012 World Superbike Championship, which began at Phillip Island last month; you can watch the interviews in the videos attached below.
At Phillip Island, Australia, the RSV4-pilot Biaggi won race 1 and took second in race 2 behind rival and reigning World SBK Champion Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati).
Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team RSV4 Superbike) says: “The season started in the best possible way. We won Race 1 putting pressure on Carlos Checa and Ducati, pushing him into a mistake, while the comeback from last to second place in Race 2 was without a doubt one of the best performances of my career.
“That had never happened to me before. After the contact with Sykes in the first turn I didn’t think I’d be able to make it, but seeing the good times lap after lap, I gained confidence and pushed to the limit until the checkered flag came out. These are two results that paid us back for all the work we had done during the weekend and which give us high hopes, because when you start the season winning the atmosphere is positive.”
For 2012 World Superbike, the Aprilia Racing Team has some new members, including the new crew chief, Aligi Deganello.
Max Biaggi says: “If it’s true that ‘well begun is half done’, we are definitely off on the right foot. We established a good rapport right away with my new crew chief, Aligi Deganello, and with the mechanics, in spite of the little time we had to bring the new team together. It was important to understand right from the start what I needed and how the team would have to work to help me obtain it. The results of the first round give us confidence for the rest of the season.”
As for Laverty, he struggled at Phillip Island, finishing eighth in race 2 and suffering a DNF in race 1. But the Northern Irishman is ready for Imola April 1.
Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team RSV4 Superbike) says: “It wasn’t the most simple start. Last year in my rookie season I had some satisfying races with some podiums and the two wins at Monza, but if I want to fight for the title I’ll need to be consistent straight away, getting up on the podium and winning even more races.”
“Our rivals are tough, starting with my garage mate, Max Biaggi and 2011 champion Carlos Checa. Since I’ve gotten to Team Aprilia I’ve known that I have the bike and all the right moves to be able to aim for victory in the Championship. In Australia I wasn’t able to express my full potential, partly due to an injury I suffered during the tests which effected all our work. For me the season will start from the next race at Imola.”
When Biaggi and Laverty left Miami, they spent Sunday and Monday testing at Aragon Motorland; Biaggi had a best lap of 1:58.8, Laverty 1:59.5.
