COMPLICATED WEEKEND FOR THE APRILIA RACING TEAM AT MOSCOW RACEWAY.
AFTER A PODIUM FINISH IN RACE 1, MAX BIAGGI HAS A BAD CRASH IN THE NINTH LAP OF RACE 2.
EUGENE LAVERTY, AFTER A FOURTH PLACE FINISH IN RACE 1, CRASHES OUT WHILE BATTLING FOR THIRD PLACE IN RACE 2.
Moscow, 26 August 2012 – The first ever Superbike weekend on Russian soil ended in the worst possible way for the Aprilia Racing Team. In fact, both Max Biaggi and Eugene Laverty retired in Race 2 because of two crashes while they were battling among the leaders.
The Aprilia riders' competitiveness at the Moscow Raceway was quite clear during Race 1, with Max finishing on the third step of the podium and his team mate crossing the line right behind him.
In the second race Max Biaggi was making up positions following all the excitement after the start. During the ninth lap, while attempting to overtake Rea on the last braking section, Max collided with Haslam, who was just ahead of him, ending up on the ground. Neither the English rider nor the Corsair suffered physical injuries, but the crash cost Max important championship points.
“The crash was the last thing we needed – confirmed a disappointed Max Biaggi – Unfortunately, when I changed my line in the braking section I ended up on some dirty asphalt and I wasn't able to slow down. I saw Haslam drawing closer and tried unsuccessfully to avoid the collision. I apologised to him straight away. At first I thought he had been injured, but fortunately he assured me that he was OK. After the podium finish in the first race I wanted to stay up front. This really complicates the championship but it certainly isn't over yet”.
Poor luck also compromised the weekend for Eugene Laverty, who crossed the finish line with an excellent fourth place in Race 1 after battling for 25 laps in the leading pack. The second race was shaping up to be Eugene's moment to shine, once again at the foot of the podium and putting in an aggressive performance. Just as it seemed he had gotten the best of Rea, moving into third place, a sudden loss of grip led to the crash that forced him to retire. It was a cruel twist of fate that in no way jeopardizes the positive feedback on this weekend's progress.
“Race 1 didn't go too badly, considering the fact that we made the wrong choice for the rear tyre. In Race 2 I expected to have more grip but I didn't. On the contrary, after a few laps I was already struggling to maintain pace. From about the halfway point the front runners slowed down a bit so I was able to catch up with the group until a sudden loss of grip took me out of the game just two turns from the finish”.
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THE MOSCOW RACEWAY SUPERPOLE GIVES MAX BIAGGI THE SECOND ROW AND THIRD PLACE TO EUGENE LAVERTY.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS IN THE OTHER TWO SESSIONS ALSO, WITH THE APRILIA RACING RIDERS IMPROVING CONSISTENTLY.
Moscow, 25 August 2012 – The outcome of the second day at Moscow Raceway was good for the Aprilia Racing Team. On the new Russian circuit Max Biaggi and Eugene Laverty improved their respective performances consistently, getting ready for two races that promise to be heated.
Ranking leader Max Biaggi ended his day securing a spot on the second row during two determined Superpole sessions. The seventh spot on the starting grid represents an excellent opportunity for the Corsair, given the pace he showed in free practice and the qualifiers today. There is still some room for improvement compared to the times the front runners are putting in, but the situation is definitely different than the difficult day yesterday.
“We were able to improve quite a bit today – Max confirmed – even if the bike isn't as fast as I'd like it to be on certain sections of the track. We did the most we could in the time available. The second row could prove to be a good starting position if we can get off the line quickly when the lights go out and not miss the train of front riders. We won't make any radical changes for the races. We're headed in the right direction. We know there are some riders here with a better pace than ours, but we'll do everything we can to play our hand right”.
Eugene Laverty is also smiling, in third place at the end of Superpole, seeing the front row of the grid as confirmation of the progress he's made. The rider from Northern Ireland and his team will continue their work based on the information gathered today in order to improve race pace and take full advantage of the good starting position. Eugene has his sights set on the podium and he is confident that he's found the right set-up to get the full potential from his RSV4 on the Russian track.
“Without a doubt Saturday was better than Friday for us. After yesterday's seventeenth place I knew I'd be able to get into Superpole, but I wasn't thinking about the front row. We worked hard and lap after lap the results proved out our work. We struggled in free practice and the qualifiers today but we managed to find the right direction and we'll continue working on that path for the races tomorrow as well. Our spot on the starting grid puts us in a position to be able to fight for the podium and that's a big step forward”.
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A DIFFICULT FRIDAY FOR THE APRILIA RACING TEAM RIDERS AT THE "MOSCOW RACEWAY".
TWO UNEXPECTED HURDLES KEEP MAX BIAGGI AND EUGENE LAVERTY FROM TAKING FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE FIRST DAY OF PRACTICE SESSIONS.
Moscow, 24 August 2012 – The initial feedback on the new Russian “Moscow Raceway” circuit, where World Superbike is racing for the first time, makes this a complicated Friday for the Aprilia Racing Team. After the morning session that the riders use to gain familiarity with the circuit and the weather conditions, the afternoon qualifiers found both the ranking leader, Max Biaggi, and his team mate, Eugene Laverty, forced to make some unexpected pit stops which compromised their progress.
Once back on the track Max picked back up with the scheduled work, stopping the clock with a good thirteenth position before the chequered flag came out to signal the end of the session. And so, the most serious difficulties are due to a lack of actual time on the track, extremely valuable in order to find the right feeling, especially with the toll this track takes on the front end.
Max Biaggi is well aware that there is much work to be done: “It's always hard when you find yourself trying to catch up with the rest, especially at this point in the season. Unfortunately the forced pit stop during the second session today (due to a serious problem) ruined our game plan. We had wanted to try out some new configurations but we weren't able to move ahead according to schedule. There will be a lot of work to do tomorrow, especially to find confidence on the front end during braking”.
Eugene Laverty also had to deal with a shortened session (11 total laps) that forced him to put in some overtime in the last few minutes. Despite his team’s efforts, Eugene was unable to move past seventeenth place, a result which could become problematic if it rains tomorrow morning during the qualifiers. In fact, only the top 16 riders from the combined results of the two qualifying sessions earn a spot in the Superpole sessions which decide the starting grid for the races on Sunday.
“Definitely a difficult day. Looking at seventeenth place in the qualifiers is a bit of a worry because if it rains tomorrow we could be out of Superpole. This is no small problem, especially when you consider the problems overtaking on this new track. Unfortunately we had a small problem with the bike that cost us precious time. Once I got back out there I tried to find the pace, but it wasn't easy. It looks like we've got a demanding Saturday ahead of us”.
