MAX BIAGGI DEFENDS HIS LEAD IN THE WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP DESPITE THE DIFFICULTIES AT SILVERSTONE.
FOURTH PLACE FOR EUGENE LAVERTY IN RACE 2 AFTER STRUGGLING IN THE FIRST PART.
Silverstone (UK), 5 August 2012 – It was a complicated Sunday at Silverstone for the Aprilia Racing Team, but it ended with Max Biaggi's leadership intact. There was no escape from the weather for World Superbike on race day, confirming the unpredictability seen earlier in the weekend.
Race 1 started under dark clouds but track conditions influenced all the riders to choose slicks. In the brawl that broke out on the slippery asphalt, Max Biaggi managed to claw his way into sixth position, only to suffer an unfortunate crash just a few kilometres from the end of the race.
Race 2, on the other hand, was wet, with increasingly hard rain until it was finally red flagged during the tenth lap. Max's race was starting to take a turn for the better, with the Corsair's feeling improving lap by lap. The interruption, due to oil and petrol on the track, led to the finishing order being decided based on the eighth lap raced, which had Max Biaggi in eleventh place, with half points awarded.
“In Race 1 I brushed onto the white line and the bike got away from me, a passable mistake. It was a shame though, because the sixth place I was defending was a good position, considering the conditions. In my opinion stopping Race 2 was the right decision, you could see oil or petrol on some of the turns and it was too dangerous. My lead has been cut in half – that’s the outcome of the weekend, so now we'll focus on Moscow where we're starting from scratch on a track that is new to everyone”.
Disappointment for Eugene Laverty, despite a good fourth place in Race 2. In fact, the rider from Toomebridge was penalised by the race suspension that came when he was fighting for the podium and recovering important seconds on his rivals. Eugene's feeling in the wet was very promising, while in the first race he struggled and gritted his teeth to take tenth place.
“In the first race we had a few problems, but the important thing was to finish and take some points home. In Race 2 the set-up on my RSV4 wasn't working very well with damp asphalt, but when the heavens opened my pace increased as well. I recovered several positions and I could have improved even more but the race was called. The rules were enforced correctly, although I think they could have considered the next lap as they had done initially”.
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CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER MAX BIAGGI IMPROVES IN SUPERBOLE BUT WILL HAVE TO SETTLE FOR THE THIRD ROW.
EUGENE LAVERTY, HINDERED BY PROBLEMS IN SUPERPOLE, WILL START FROM THE FOURTEENTH SPOT ON THE GRID.
Silverstone (UK), 4 August 2012 – Splashes of sunlight and intermittent rain showers marked the Superbike sessions again today at Silverstone. These were certainly not the best conditions for the Aprilia Racing Team, hard at work with Max Biaggi and Eugene Laverty, trying to find the best compromise for the races tomorrow.
The ranking championship leader, making it into the top sixteen before the rain could compromise the second qualifying session, began the first of two wet Superpole sessions by laying down a good series of laps which brought him just short of the top positions. When the track began to dry, Max's last lap was not enough to beat out the performance of his rivals, who relegated him to the third row. The eleventh spot on the starting grid is certainly not what was expected, but hopefully Max Biaggi will still be able to ride two good races.
“That's just the way Superpole went. I pushed to the limit, but there was no way to do any better. To be honest, we're not very far off the race place. We need to work on tweaking a few things in order to have a good pace. Given the way the weather shifts I think that it will be important to aim for consistent performance rather than pure performance, in the hopes that the warm-up conditions tomorrow morning will be useful in view of the races”.
Eugene Laverty will start three positions farther back, finishing fourteenth in Superpole after two good practice sessions. The lad from Toomebridge was unable to confirm the good performance he demonstrated yesterday and this morning and he is very much aware that, from a fourth row spot on the grid, when the red lights go off a perfect start will be indispensable Eugene's feeling on a wet track astride his RSV4 is good in any case, so all the potential for two good races on the attack are there.
“We had a problem with the front of the bike from the beginning of Superpole, it felt like the steering dumper was broken. Otherwise the bike was feeling ok in the wet so it’s unfortunate that this problem stopped me from pushing. We’ll start from the fourth row of the grid and so a good start will be vital”.
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A DIFFICULT FRIDAY FOR MAX BIAGGI AT SILVERSTONE WITH A QUALIFIER THAT DOES NOT LEAVE THE CORSAIR SATISFIED.
EUGENE LAVERTY'S PERFORMANCE SHOWED STEADY IMPROVEMENT, SEVENTH AT THE END OF THE DAY.
Silverstone (UK), 3 August – It was a rough first day for Max Biaggi and the Aprilia Racing Team. The unpredictable weather conditions influenced the morning free practice, half of which was held on wet asphalt with intermittent showers. In the afternoon the situation improved with the track drying off and paces getting steadily faster.
Ranking championship leader Max Biaggi, tenth in the Silverstone free practice, tackled the afternoon session with his usual determination. In the final minutes of the qualifiers, when many of the riders improved their lap times significantly, the choice to change a few parameters in view of the last few laps kept Max from taking the best advantage of the remaining time. Hi seventeenth final position, in light of tomorrow's unpredictable weather, could become a problem if he is unable to improve.
“These first sessions definitely did not go as I had hoped – confirmed Max – In the last few minutes of the qualifiers, when everyone else had improved their times, we made too many changes at the same time and that kept me from improving. It takes a few laps to get a feel for the bike's performance and we didn't have enough time. Usually the times on Friday aren't fundamental, but given the unpredictable weather tomorrow it could become difficult to improve and qualify for Superpole”.
Eugene Laverty's day didn't get off to the best tart, with a thirteenth time in free practice. However, the Northern Irish rider stayed focused, moving into seventh position in the qualifiers just in the last few moments. The biggest troubles for Eugene lie in the poor grip on this English asphalt, which was a treacherous accomplice of the falling rain this morning.
“An interesting day! This morning the rain interrupted our progress, but in the afternoon the track conditions changed completely with a lot less grip. At the end of the day a seventh place time isn't bad in view of Superpole. All we can do now is wait to see what the weather does tomorrow. I think we are all having grip problems, so if tomorrow is dry things can only get better”.
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BACK TO THE RACES AT SILVERSTONE: RANKING LEADER MAX BIAGGI IS EAGER TO FORGET THE TROUBLES OF BRNO.
ALSO AN IMPORTANT WEEKEND FOR EUGENE LAVERTY WHO CAN COUNT ON SUPPORT FROM HIS FANS.
Noale, 1 August – The World Superbike Championship is coming into the final stages with just five rounds left to decide the outcome. The next round is Silverstone, a fast and smooth track nestled in the English hills which have always been the site of spectacular races.
In light of events so far, this weekend should live up to its expectations. The riders with the most points, forced to set their sights on the best possible result, will be joined in the battle for victory by the home riders, always particularly motivated by the English atmosphere.
The goal for Max Biaggi, current leader in the standings, is to quickly forget his difficulties in Brno. At Silverstone Max has obtained alternating results: last year, after an unfortunate Superpole, the Corsair ended the weekend with a comeback that took him to the foot of the podium in Race 2. This weekend Max will have to aim high.
“Brno left a bitter taste in my mouth - I won't deny that. A track which has historically been friendly played a dirty trick on us, but we have to turn the page now. We have been working hard to fix the problems that slowed us down, but until the first test session we won't have a clear idea of our situation. There are a lot of variables at Silverstone, from the weather to the home riders. We'll have to stay focused on our goal and adapt quickly to the situation. It is a hard championship which will probably be decided in the last round. I want to be in it until the end”.
One of the riders who can consider this “home turf” is Eugene Laverty, who can count on the fundamental support of his fans here. The rider from Toomebridge didn't come away with what he had hoped for at Brno either, so he is anxious to come back and do well at Silverstone, where he rode to a spot on the podium last year.
"I'm fortunate to have a second home round this season after the disappointment of Donington back in May. The Silverstone circuit has been kind to me in recent years with a victory and two runner-up finishes so I'll be hoping for a repeat performance. We had a very strong weekend in Brno last time out up until race day where we encountered some problems but we're on a good path at the moment. We improved my riding position on the RSV4 at a test last week at Mugello which allowed me to feel more comfortable on corner exit. My confidence is high and I believe we can continue to move up the order".
