SUPERPOLE AT MONZA.
THE BACK AND FORTH WEATHER CONDITIONS EFFECTED SUPERPOLE FOR MAX BIAGGI, WHO PUSHED HIS RSV4 TO THE MAXIMUM AND ENDED THE DAY IN SIXTH PLACE.
AFTER GOOD QUALIFYING SESSIONS, EUGENE LAVERTY RAN INTO A DIFFICULT POLE: HE'LL START FROM THE THIRD ROW TOMORROW.
Monza, 5 May 2012 – The Monza Superpole was held today in truly critical conditions. The asphalt was only partially wet, so it wasn't suitable for slicks, but in any case it didn't allow the rain tyres to work perfectly, leaving the riders and teams with the honour of choosing the most satisfactory solution.
The weather, which has played a key role in this first part of the championship, conditioned the Monza Superpole too. Max Biaggi, ranking leader of the championship, came through the first pole session, coming off of strong times in the practice sessions. In the battle of the top eight Max chose an intermediate tyre solution allowing him to take sixth place in the end, which means the second row of the starting grid for him.
“Superpole was difficult today – confirmed Max – First there was a small technical problem, possibly stemming from the crash in the last free practice session, and then the asphalt conditions made life difficult. We got into the top eight using rain tyres, but they deteriorated quickly on these long straight stretches. We tried with the intermediates but it was very difficult. In spite of everything we're on the second row. Tomorrow is still a dilemma, I only hope that the conditions remain consistent and that they let us ride without apprehension”.
Eugene Laverty started out his Superpole in good conditions, despite the crash in the last free practice session. The bike which the Aprilia mechanics put back together in record time did not, however, guarantee the same confidence in the Northern Irish rider, who ended the first session in tenth place. In any case, his performance in the practice sessions encourages Eugene to look forward to the races tomorrow with relative confidence.
“This morning the bike was really going well, as the fourth place qualifying time showed. In the afternoon free practice session everything seemed OK as well, until the Parabolica braking zone where an unexpected downpour took me, Max and a couple other riders down. My mechanics repaired the bike in time for Superpole, but the feeling wasn't that good, especially in the left-hand curves. I struggled a lot, but we're tenth and that's an acceptable result, all things considered, so tomorrow we'll definitely make a play for it”.
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FIRST PRACTICE SESSIONS AT MONZA.
FRIDAY ENDS WITH TWO GOOD PLACINGS FOR MAX BIAGGI, FOCUSED AS ALWAYS ON THE SETUP OF HIS RSV4.
EUGENE LAVERTY, SATISFIED WITH THE WORK DONE TODAY, PUTS THE FOURTH TIME ON THE BOARD IN THE QUALIFIERS.
Monza, 4 May 2012 – First sessions and first time verdicts for Aprilia Racing Team in anticipation of the Monza races. The two Friday sessions showed very close standings, the result of a continuous back and forth of positions among the top ten riders. The first day of practice is usually dedicated to the search for a good base which is then refined over the rest of the weekend in order to take on the two races on Sunday in the best possible conditions.,
Max Biaggi focused meticulously on adapting his RSV4 to the characteristics of the extremely fast Brianza track. A lot of laps and a lot of changes to the set up, suspension and electronics, so without aiming for the best time.
The eighth and seventh places in the two sessions do not worry Max: “I wasn't particularly fast today, but I wasn't so slow that it should create and alarm. The bike is beginning to work the way I like it. We definitely have good margin for improvement in order to catch up with the front runners. We're talking about little tweaks, nothing radical. My mechanics and I will think about it and decide what the best strategy is now. Only having one bike certainly doesn't simplify things. If I start pushing too hard and it starts raining, we'll have to adapt as best we can”.
Eugene Laverty, who demonstrated a good feeling with the Monza track right away, is also satisfied with the first day of sessions. Sixth in free practice and fourth in the qualifiers, the rider from Northern Ireland, despite some troubles in the first session, lived up to the expectations. Both the synergy with the Aprilia RSV4 and the pace that Eugene showed were excellent.
“In the first session we had some small problems which slowed us down, but the qualifiers were just about perfect. I took a lot of laps, almost a full race's worth, with good times even in the last laps. We still have room for improvement, but the foundation is definitely promising. I already have a better pace than the one that gave me a double win last year, so I'm satisfied with our work today”.
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MAX BIAGGI ARRIVES IN MONZA AS RANKING CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER AND IS READY TO ENTERTAIN FANS IN THE TEMPLE OF SPEED.
EUGENE LAVERTY, WHO ENJOYED A DOUBLE WIN AT MONZA IN 2011, IS ANXIOUS TO CONFIRM HIMSELF AFTER HIS FIRST PODIUM WITH APRILIA.
Monza, 2 May 2012 – The Aprilia Racing Team arrives in Monza in excellent condition. The Brianza track, historically favourable to the characteristics of the RSV4, is also the ideal hunting ground for Max Biaggi and Eugene Laverty.
The Corsair is coming off of a weekend in Assen which, although fraught with difficulties, delivered the rider leadership position to him. Monza, with its treacherous braking zones and mind boggling accelerations, is a much loved track by the five time world champion, who took a double win in 2010, as well as being favourable to all the four cylinder bikes.
The uncertain weather that hovers over the weekend is contrasted by Max's absolute determination to redeem the tarnished performances at Imola and Assen.
In any case it will be no easy task, as Max Biaggi confirms: “I'll make no secret of the fact that Monza is a track that both I and the RSV4 like. We can definitely fight for victory, but we also must consider the performances we've been seeing in the first few rounds. Various riders have made a qualitative leap forward, so the battle for first place has gotten very tight and there could be a surprise around every corner. Assen put us back into the leadership position, but we suffered quite a bit both during practice and in the races. Doing well here in Monza, in front of our fans, would be very important for the season”.
Eugene Laverty also has good reason to look forward to Monza optimistically. The memory of his troubles early on in the season has faded now, replaced by much fresher images of the Northern Irish rider's first podium with Aprilia in Assen. The fastest track in the championship has already seen him win.
“I was happy with my debut podium on the Aprilia at Assen following a tough start to the season. The team were very supportive and never lost faith in my ability so it was nice to reward them with a podium finish. I'm really looking forward to Monza as the Aprilia is very fast in a straight line. I had a double victory at the circuit last year so I'd love nothing more than to do the same again this time around”.
