Category: Superbikes

1. SUPERBIKE: APRILIA TAKES ON THE SECOND WORLD SBK ROUND AT THE TOP OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

   Posted on 3:56pm Wednesday 18th Mar 2015

   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.” 

2. SECOND DAY OF MOTOGP TESTS AT LOSAIL (QATAR)

   Posted on 9:22am Monday 16th Mar 2015

   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.”  

3. FIRST DAY OF MOTOGP TESTS AT LOSAIL (QATAR)

   Posted on 12:23pm Sunday 15th Mar 2015

   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.”  

4. THREE DAYS OF TESTS AT SEPANG, NEW MATERIALS AND NEW SETUPS TO CONTINUE IMPROVING THE APRILIA MOTOGP BIKE

   Posted on 12:11pm Wednesday 25th Feb 2015

   Sepang (Malaysia), 25 February 2015 - Three intense days for Aprilia Racing Team Gresini on the Sepang track. At the second testing session on the Malaysian circuit the team turned up with a lot of material and new solutions to try out on the track in view of the upcoming MotoGP season. They worked almost entirely on intermediate steps between the first version of the RS-GP, tested in the autumn sessions at Valencia and Jerez, and the more advanced version that was placed on the track in the first Sepang tests in early February.
   The stated goal was to choose the definitive materials and solutions for the bikes which will début at the Qatar GP on 29 March.

   For the engine the refinement process of the V4 with pneumatic valve timing continued. This is a unit which made a brief appearance at the Valencia tests and then gradually became more reliable and complete in terms of electronic management. There is still much work to be done, but the information gathered at Sepang will be fundamental for the choices the mechanics and riders will make.

   Alvaro Bautista and Marco Melandri put in a total of 257 laps (135 for Alvaro and 122 for Marco). During the three days Marco also tested a bike which was quite close to the SBK that he rode last season with the goal of finding the right feeling on the new tyres.

   But on this third and final day, Marco Melandri also focused exclusively on the intermediate version of the RS-GP, while Alvaro even took on some long runs, seeking to improve his feeling with the Aprilia even more. This did not keep him from continuing to change the bike and from putting a good time on the sheets (2’01.310) as demonstration of the quality and the quantity of the work done.

   Now the engineers at Noale will have time to examine the information gathered and take the final decisions.
   
   ROMANO ALBESIANO (Aprilia Racing Manager)
   “I'm quite pleased with the tests because we confirmed how well balanced our bike is, also highlighting the exact direction we need to take in development, both in terms of chassis and electronics. We didn't have any particular problems with reliability and that is comforting. Another positive note is that our race pace during simulations is encouraging, even more than our flying lap times. This morning a small problem kept Alvaro from further improving his best lap. He could have shaved a little more off but overall the result of these tests is definitely encouraging. We were able to complete all of the scheduled tests and in the coming days we'll have a look at things and decide which direction to take for Qatar.”
   
   FAUSTO GRESINI (Team Manager)
   “These were three intense days where we were able to complete a lot of tests in various areas of the bike, from the setup to the frame and even the electronics and engine. All in all even our riders' time sheets improved compared to the previous Sepang 1 tests and that's a sign that little by little we are moving forward and improving. We also gathered some more precious information that will allow us to keep working on development at home whilst waiting to get back on the track for the last test in Qatar before the opening round. Alvaro's time is satisfactory and so is Marco's, although still far off the mark. At the end of this final day he started to get a more positive feeling. We are working to give him what he needs and to put him at ease.”
   
   ALVARO BAUTISTA
   “This last day was a positive one. After testing various solutions over the last few days today we focused on the base setting that I liked the best. This morning we improved our best lap straight away, taking another important step forward. Another fundamental test was the new 340 millimetre brake discs, a modifications that I got used to right away but that also required some further settings on the bike. This afternoon, at the hottest time of the day, we took our long run and I must say that I immediately felt good riding with a full tank. I'm starting to have fun and that is essential. I had to stop because of a small problem with a wheel and then we got back on the track and even with a used tyre we had a good pace. After the long run we also compared some new material that we didn't have before, specifically looking for better traction. These are all positive tests looking toward the Qatar test sessions, because a lot of ideas came out in terms of development. At the end of the day I'm satisfied. I want to thank all the guys at Aprilia because they did a great job these last three days. We all want to improve more in the next tests!”
   
   MARCO MELANDRI
   “In these three days we did a lot of hard work in terms of comparison tests to find that feeling that I have been missing up to now. We took laps to analyse various solutions, even with a bike similar to the one that I rode last year, precisely to gather as much information as possible. We were able to find some good things, but it wasn't enough to let me ride as I'd like to and our times show just how much work is still left to do. Now we'll analyse the results of these tests and decide the best way focus our future efforts.”

5. WORLD SUPERBIKE APRILIA RACING TEAM - RED DEVILS

   Posted on 8:42am Sunday 22nd Feb 2015

   VICTORY AND SECOND PLACE FOR HASLAM IN THE TWO AUSTRALIAN RACES. THIS IS APRILIA'S 50TH WIN IN WSBK.

   LEON HASLAM LEADS THE RIDER CHAMPIONSHIP, APRILIA AT THE TOP OF MANUFACTURER STANDINGS

   Phillip Island (Australia), 22 February 2015 - Aprilia never gets tired of winning.

   The RSV4, reigning World Champion bike, and the new Aprilia Racing - Red Devils team, pick up where they left off in November, on that magical night in Qatar when the Italian team took the double world title.

   On the Phillip Island track Leon Haslam made his début astride the RSV4 and brought home Aprilia's 50th win in World SBK.

   The first victory was in 2000, right here at Phillip Island with the RSV Mille ridden by Troy Corser. But it has been in the last 5 years, and with the RSV4, that Aprilia has won all its championships in the factory derivative category, taking 4 Manufacturer and 3 Rider titles and racking up 42 of their 50 total wins.

   With these results Aprilia comes home from the Australian round with first place both in the Rider (with Haslam) and Manufacturer standings.

   Romano Albesiano, Aprilia Racing Manager had this to say about the 2015 opening round: “After a long winter where the guys in the racing department worked hard we arrived here at Phillip Island with a lot of question marks. These were all erased by this fantastic Sunday where Leon came so close to bringing home a double win, in any case putting in an excellent result in his first races with the RSV4. This promises to be a very well balanced season, with several riders in contention for the win, but I believe that our performance today once again confirms our competitiveness. Leon showed incredible courage and determination today, while Torres continues to improve and has already reached an enviable level for a rookie in this category.”

   Arriving at the Australian round with two new riders and the new RF version of the RSV4, Aprilia found itself in the limelight straight away with Leon Haslam. The fast English rider, making his first curtain call on the Italian V4, confirmed the RSV4's ability to win with riders of any style, and he was a key player in both races, battling courageously and cleanly with his countryman Jonathan Rea.

   In the first of the two races, after they pulled ahead of the pack along with Davies, they engaged in a memorable duel overtaking one another several times before the spectacular last lap. In the final race for the chequered flag, Rea broke through by just 39 thousandths of a second.

   The script was much the same with the players reversed in the second race. Haslam and Rea did battle, doing full honours to the spirit of this championship - which promises to be particularly spectacular this year - taking turns in the lead, once again down to the last lap. At the last turn Haslam came around in his countryman's slipstream, looking for the pass in the final run. And that is exactly how it went, with Leon Haslam winning his first championship race on an Aprilia 10 thousandths of a second ahead of Rea.

   Leon Haslam: “This race brings back great memories. My last win was at Kyalami in 2010 after a great battle with Rea. My compliments to my team. They did a great job all weekend. In Race 1 I unfortunately made a mistake, but luckily I felt like I had a wide enough margin and I was able to rejoin the pack and finish second in the final dash by just a few thousandths. I started Race 2 even more motivated to win. Despite feeling like I had less “reserve” after the halfway point, everything went according to plan. In the last turn I opened up the throttle at the right time and I realised that I had overtaken Rea straight away right on the finish line. I am truly happy to finally be back on the top step of the podium!”

   The young Spanish rider, Jordi Torres, also had an opening day full of positive notes. In his first SBK race he stayed in the top spots of the standings, showing no reverential fear for the big names in the Championship and, after battling with the likes of Guintoli and Bayliss, he made an excellent fourth place finish. This was a great placement well within his reach in Race 2 as well, but just after overtaking Sykes after a long battle for fourth, he fell victim to a sliding crash without any physical damage, but which ended his race.

   Jordi Torres: “This was a Sunday where I learned a lot. In the first race we performed well. I was fast from the start and I learned a lot about tyre wear and what sort of riding style to use to conserve it. You have to avoid leaning all the way over and be very careful on the gas - a lesson that I was putting to good use in Race 2. Unfortunately Sykes really brakes hard, so I struggled to overtake him and just when I thought I could do it I pushed to hard and crashed. I need to take away all the good we did this weekend and stay calm. I can be fast but I need to improve the way I manage the race.”

   Andrea Petricca: “Today Haslam and the entire team won, a group of professionals who are accustomed to winning. We were well aware of the great potential that both Haslam and the RSV4 have and today at Phillip Island we received confirmation that Leon is capable of riding a top level championship to fight for the title. It won't be easy because we are competing at a very high level, but we will give it our best effort. Torres was making his début in the Superbike championship but he showed that he can compete with the fastest and most expert riders in the category, so we are confident that in the coming races he will bring home great results.”