APRILIA TO HAVE THREE BIKES ON THE TRACK AT SEPANG
LEON HASLAM KEEN TO GET BACK TO WINNING, JORDI TORRES AIMING TO CONFIRM HIS EXPLOITS FROM LAGUNA SECA
SECOND WILD CARD OF THE SEASON FOR SIX-TIME WORLD CHAMPION MAX BIAGGI
Noale, 29 July 2015 – For the second time this season, Aprilia will come into the race weekend with a three-pronged attack formation. Six-time world champion Max Biaggi will be on the track with the Noale Test Team, riding his number 3 RSV4 RF alongside the “twin” bikes ridden by Leon Haslam and Jordi Torres.
The Laguna Seca round held contrasting sensations for the Team Aprilia Racing – Red Devils riders. Leon Haslam wants to take advantage of the Malaysian track’s characteristics to get back to the positions he deserves and he is making no bones about wanting to win. His first Superbike podium, achieved in the last round in the USA, could be the turning point in the season for rookie Jordi Torres. The objective on the horizon is clear: to prove that he is the best rookie in the category.
Romano Albesiano, Aprilia Racing Manager: “We are coming to Sepang after the Laguna Seca round which resulted in contrasting indications: a difficult weekend for Leon with a decidedly good performance on the other hand for Jordi. For Aprilia Sepang is a traditionally friendly circuit. We aim to do well with both our official riders. They seem to be ready and motivated. Don’t forget that in Malaysia we will also have three bikes on the grid for the second time this year. In fact, Haslam and Torres will have Max Biaggi riding alongside them after his magnificent weekend at Misano. The good results we saw at Misano mustn’t make us forget that Max has been out of racing for almost three years and certain mechanisms need to be recovered, especially on a track where he is riding the RSV4 RF for the first time. The tests here did not do much good, given the rain, so it will be important to continue working during the race weekend.”
Leon Haslam: “I have been anxiously awaiting the Malaysia round. Laguna Seca was the most difficult weekend of the season for me. I want to get back to winning and I think that the Sepang track is the right place to do it. This is traditionally a good circuit for Aprilia and I’m sure that Max’s contribution will also be helpful. Now all that’s left is to start working with our best efforts from the first laps and to managing our setup well will also be fundamental given the extreme conditions.”
Jordi Torres: “Sepang is a long and very diverse circuit. Finding a good braking setup will be essential because there are a lot of braking sections and so will working on grip in the particular temperature and humidity conditions. I like the circuit and the atmosphere of the locals. I think that Malaysia is really a beautiful country. After Laguna Seca I’ve raised the bar for myself. I’m ready to hunker down behind my top fairing on the two long straight stretches!”
After the extraordinary sport and press event at Misano, where Max Biaggi surprised fans and staff by dominating the Friday sessions and riding two outstanding races, on the Malaysian track the Corsair will be taking on a new challenge. It will be a decidedly demanding one, given the equatorial weather conditions combined with his less than perfect knowledge of a track where he has never raced with a Superbike. During the tests conducted last week Max and his team had to deal with rain on three of the four days available to them, collecting little information and increasing the difficulty of returning to the track.
Max Biaggi: “After the dream come true at Misano, where I rediscovered the warmth of my fans and the adrenaline of racing, in the second wild card at Sepang a demanding weekend awaits. During the tests I discovered the difficulties of a complex track with extreme weather conditions, and losing precious time didn’t help. We’ll need to stay 100% focused to take advantage of every practice session. The guys on my team will be under a lot of pressure and I’ll have to dig deep to give my best. Improving on the Misano results will be no walk in the park, but it isn’t the first time I’ve faced an impossible challenge. I hope to have fun and to give Superbike fans a good show.”
