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Category: Superbikes
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JORDI TORRES IS GROWING QUICKLY, CLOSE TO THE PODIUM IN BOTH RACES
Buriram (Thailand), 22 March 2015 – Two races that followed almost exactly the same script marked the début of the Thai Buriram circuit on the 2015 WSBK calendar.
Determined and generous, Leon Haslam rode his RSV4 to the second step of the podium twice in two races pushed to the limit wire to wire, strengthening his position in the overall standings.
In Race 1 Leon Haslam got off the line well from the second spot on the grid in the lead pack made up of Rea, Sykes, Lowes and Davies. Overtaking quickly, Aprilia Racing Team - Red Devils came up to second place to begin hunting down Rea. With an extremely fast central portion of the race, the Brit seemed to be worrying the lead rider, but in the end he had to "settle" for an excellent second place finish.
Race 2 also featured a duel between Rea and Haslam, who both demonstrated a decidedly better pace than their rivals throughout the weekend. Leon and his team made some changed to the RSV4 between the two races, managing to squeeze a bit more speed from it. The opposition from his adversaries, which is always fierce in Superbike, kept Haslam from staying in contact with the lead rider.
The double second place, on a brand new track, is an important result that confirms Haslam's role as a pretender for the title as SBK prepares to return to Europe for the next round.
Leon Haslam: “The team did a great job. Between the two races we took a big step forward. Rea was simply too fast today. We decided to use a harder front tyre and maybe with the softer one we could have been faster in the first part of the race, but it didn't gives us the guarantees we needed in terms of distance. In any case I'm pleased with the weekend, especially because compared to Friday we have really improved and I can't wait to get to Aragon. Being on the podium for the first two rounds of the season is definitely a great starting point.”
In Thailand rookie Jordi Torres once again showed great maturity and confirmed the quality of the Aprilia Racing Team - Red Devils decisions. Improving constantly, the Spaniard took full advantage of the start he earned yesterday in Superpole on the second row of the grid, without taking any risks in the first laps, but staying within reach of the podium. The characteristics of this circuit did not help him in his efforts: Jordi is still familiarising himself with his powerful Aprilia RSV4's braking system and he was competing on the track with some of the best “brakers” in the Superbike Championship. Thanks to his excellent progress in the final phases, in both races he finished just short of the podium. So he'll be going to his home race in Aragon with high ambitions.
Jordi Torres: “I am really happy about the work we did this weekend because, despite missing a session, we were able to come back well. The FP2 session is important for me because in the first session I learn the new track, whereas I need the second session to set up the base from which to work. Then on Saturday I have to focus on being fast for the qualifiers and Superpole. When I found myself behind Sykes I thought back to Phillip Island, where I crashed whilst trying to overtake him, and I decided to stay calm and study him in Race 1 without taking any risks. That was useful for me in Race 2. In the end I finished in the same position, but I'm learning lap after lap. Like I always say, the Aprilia RSV4 was made to win, and only when I reach that goal will I be able to be 100% satisfied.”
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ONLY 11 THOUSANDTHS OF A SECOND KEPT THE BRIT FROM HIS FIRST SUPERPOLE ON THE APRILIA RSV4
A NICE FIFTH BEST TIME AND THE SECOND ROW FOR JORDI TORRES IN HIS FIRST EXPERIENCE ON A QUALIFIER TYRE.
Buriram (Thailand), 21 March 2015 – First and second row on the starting grid for Aprilia, reigning world champion, on the Thai Buriram circuit.
It was a spectacular and heated Superpole right down to the end. Taking it with an advantage of just 11 thousandths of a second was Rea, followed by Aprilia standard bearer Leon Haslam, who put in two flying laps on a qualifier tyre.
For Leon Haslam (leading the standings after victory in Australia) this is the second start from the front row in two races since making his début with the Aprilia RSV4. Leon was among the front runners from the beginning even in the practice sessions, giving the fans a show and taking full advantage of his RSV4. After putting the best time on the sheets with his first attempt on a qualifier Leon kept on, further improving his performance. Just a small mistake in the final phases kept him from winning his first Superpole with Aprilia, in any case taking a promising second position on the grid for the two races tomorrow.
The excellent work done in the garage during the practice sessions allowed Leon to line up on the grid with comforting results in terms of race pace, on a track where the high temperatures make proper tyre management vital.
Leon Haslam: “I'm pleased with this Superpole. The first row was our goal. In the first lap with a qualifier I may have been a bit overly cautious, whereas in the second one I made a small mistake. In any case, in terms of race pace we are doing well. The guys at Aprilia have done a great job and the RSV4 adapted quickly to the new track. Tomorrow the track condition will be different and I expect that there will be several riders capable of making a play for the win.”
For Jordi Torres, a rookie in World Superbike this year, this was his first experience with a Pirelli Superpole tyre since in Australia the last session had been suspended. In any case, the Spaniard handled this new situation well, finishing with the fifth best time which earns him a spot on the second row of the starting grid for tomorrow.
Jordi Torres: “I would have needed a few more laps during this weekend, but unfortunately the rain this morning made us miss a session. In FP4 we managed to do a great job, getting back up front, but first and foremost increasing my feeling with the RSV4. In Superpole for the first time I used a qualifier and the second row is not too bad at all, but when you ride an Aprilia it's never enough! Tomorrow we'll have to use the warmup wisely to improve further, especially in the braking sections where I still haven't found the right solution to brake hard and keep the bike stable.”
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LEON HASLAM AND JORDI TORRES ARE DETERMINED TO CONTINUE THE WINNING STREAK BEGUN AT PHILLIP ISLAND.
Buriram (Thailand), 18 March 2015 – Aprilia is ready to tackle the second World Superbike Championship round that will be held from 20 to 22 March at the Chang International Circuit of Buriram in Thailand.
This will be the first time a world racing championship round has been held on the new Thai track which is 4554 metres long, designed by German Hemann Tilke.
The Chang International Circuit is located near the city of Buriram, more than 400 from the capital of Bangkok.
After a win and a second place finish at Phillip Island astride the world champion RSV4 and leader of the Manufacturer standings, Leon Haslam is keen to confirm his competitive edge on the new Thai track as well. In Australia the English rider showed that he has an excellent feeling with the Aprilia Racing – Red Devils team 2015 version RSV4 and that he is more than capable of taking advantage of its great potential. At Buriram Leon is also anxious to confirm his position at the top and maintain his leadership in the championship standings.
Leon Haslam: “I'm curious to see this new track that I'm told is characterised by two straight stretches a few slow turns. I'm expecting very high temperatures and a humid climate similar to Sepang, so I've been training and I'm ready to take on even difficult climates. In Australia my feeling on the RSV4 was excellent and I hope it will be the same in Thailand as well. We'll be working from Friday to find a setup suitable for this track and I hope to continue the positive trend we started at Phillip Island.”
Jordi Torres' début in the Superbike championship can certainly be considered positive. The young Spanish rider showed that he can keep up with the front runners, a situation that was confirmed by his performance in the first race. In Thailand Torres, who is coming from the Moto2 class, will have to work to adapt his riding style to the powerful RSV4, but he will be able to count on all the experience and skill of the Aprilia Racing – Red Devils team.
Jordi Torres: “I'm usually a quick learner on new tracks and I hope that will be the case for the Chang International Circuit as well. From what we're told it doesn't seem to be a track with any particular characteristics, so more than learning the new track I'll have to focus on my riding style, which I'm trying to adapt to the Aprilia RSV4. My maiden race in Superbike was positive, so I hope I'll be able to do well here in Thailand as well.”
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Losail (Qatar), 15 March 2015 – The second day of testing on the Losail circuit marks a milestone in the growth process for the Aprilia RS-GP. After the autumn tests in Valencia and Jerez and the two test sessions in Malaysia, Bautista and Melandri, the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini riders, chose which version will be the one to make its début in the MotoGP world championship.
Both Melandri and Bautista dedicated the day to developing solutions that will be taken to the races in two weeks when – on 29 March – the circuit just outside of Doha will host the first act of the 2015 season with night races.
Alvaro made a clear improvement, lapping with a time of 1.57,273, more than a second less than his time of 1.58,459 yesterday. Marco Melandri suffered the consequences of a pesky flu again today, significantly compromising his work. In the end Bautista put in 46 laps and Melandri 23 with a best time of 1.57,982, which is also progress compared to his time of 1,58.990 the day before.
ROMANO ALBESIANO (Aprilia Racing Manager) “We have now defined a version that we worked on all day. It is, as would be expected, a combination of the various RS-GP versions that we've tested on the track thus far. Tomorrow we'll pick up where we left off. For Alvaro it's a question of reacquiring the good feeling he had in Sepang, whereas for Marco, although hampered by poor health conditions, closed the gap behind the front runners. Now we have a lot of work ahead of us on the setup, especially in terms of managing the engine brake, electronics strategies and the chassis. On the other hand, I'm quite pleased with our progress session after session in terms of reliability. We need time and a lot of work and that is exactly why we are here.”
FAUSTO GRESINI (Team Manager) “What we need to do is simply continue working hard with the riders and stay united as a team in order to achieve a common goal, which is to improve constantly throughout the entire season. There is a lot to be done, but it is quite normal and we have always been well aware of that. These tests are very important for defining a base to use in the first Grand Prix, although we know that there will always be changes at each round.”
ALVARO BAUTISTA “Today we focused on the base that we selected for the first Grand Prix, trying various solutions in terms of chassis geometry in order to try and improve corner entry and my feeling with the front end. We need to eliminate some vibrations in mid turn that keep me from holding a good line. This track definitely has less grip than Sepang, but we still have a day left to work and we'll try to take the best possible advantage of it to gather as much information as possible so the racing department can work in view of the first race."
MARCO MELANDRI “We improved a bit today but we need to do better, especially on corner entry and getting the bike to close the line on the exit opening up the throttle. Unfortunately I still had a cough when I got to Qatar and I'm having trouble breathing, but today I'm a bit better than yesterday. I'm still short on energy but tomorrow I'm confident that I'll be a little stronger for the last session.”
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Losail (Qatar), 14 March 2015 – The first session of night testing on the Qatar circuit has the riders, Alvaro Bautista and Marco Melandri, working hard testing the many changes made by the Noale factory. The tests, organised over three days, are the last trials scheduled before the launch of the MotoGP season, which will also be held on this circuit and at night on 29 March.
The four RS-GP bikes available for the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini at Losail represent yet another step forward with respect to the versions initially seen during the Spanish tests at Valencia and Jerez and then during the February test sessions in Malaysia. Along with changes to the frame came new electronic management strategies. These are all changes that need to be tested throughout a season that promises to be one of trial and growth for the Italian team, which chose to jump straight into the racing mix a year ahead of the originally scheduled plans. Marco was only able to begin the work scheduled for today as he was hindered by an extremely irritating flue that initially limited his performance and then even forced him to end his track day early for a visit to the Mobile Clinic. Bautista was able to lap more consistently to “smooth out” his RS-GP, and this is the most important information for a project that needs time and testing to grow.
In the end 53 total laps were put in, 34 for Bautista (with a best time of 1.58,459) and 19 for Melandri (1.58,990).
ALVARO BAUTISTA “Today we worked quite a bit on the electronics to improve going into turns and rear grip. Even after changing bikes I still continued testing the electronics. Toward the end of the session we also tested the new material. We had some good results, so tomorrow we'll pick up our work from here to improve further.” MARCO MELANDRI “Unfortunately today I was very ill and I was only able to take a few laps. Losing time right now is a shame, but I preferred stopping today so that I can take the best possible advantage of the next two days of testing.”
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