- THE TWO APRILIA RIDERS LEAD IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: SYLVAIN GUINTOLI OUT FRONT, FOLLOWED BY TEAM MATE EUGENE LAVERTY

- APRILIA LEADS THE MANUFACTURER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP.

Monza, 12 May 2013 – Aprilia Racing was the star player at Monza in the fourth World SBK round and finished the Italian weekend with its two standard bearers, Guintoli and Laverty, respectively in first and second place for the championship standings.

Aprilia strengthens its hold on the Manufacturer World Championship lead (172 points) in front of BMW (144), Kawasaki (127), Honda (78), Suzuki (68) and Ducati (52).

In both races the four riders – Laverty, Guintoli, Melandri and Sykes – left the others behind, leap frogging in and out of the lead several times, battling down to the last turn for victory.

In the first race, after a spectacular flying finish and after having led the race for a large portion of the time, the two Aprilia riders finished in third (Laverty) and fourth place (Guintoli) behind Melandri and Sykes.

The second, extremely fast race, which ended with an average speed of more than 201 kph, followed the same script with the quartet running away at the front. The Aprilia riders stayed in the lead: first Laverty for seven laps and then Guintoli in the next eight and then Laverty again, taking the lead in the last two laps to then defend down to the wire and win in front of Melandri, Guintoli and Sykes. Sylvain’s podium was made official after Aprilia Racing lodged a complaint due to Sykes running straight on in a chicane during the last lap. This is a result that is enriched by the presence of all four RSV4s in the top six places (Fabrizio fifth, Giugliano sixth).

With this victory, the third of the season after the one in Phillip Island and the last round at Assen, Laverty is now lying in second place in the championship which is led by his team mate, Sylvain Guintoli. The French Aprilia Racing rider was a protagonist today, leading in both races. The third and fourth place finishes are not a complete satisfaction for him, but they are important results for championship points.

Eugene Laverty: “This was a great day for me. After the podium in Race 1 it was nice to end the weekend with a victory. Especially since I was a bit disappointed because I had a shot at the top step of the podium in the first race as well if I had managed the end differently. We showed that we can be fast and consistent on two very different tracks like Assen and Monza. My RSV4 did extremely well for me. On this track the speed and balance of the bike in braking are essential. The points situation is excellent if you consider the double dnf in Aragon, but I’ve already left those difficulties behind and I count on doing well at the next round in Donington as well. Even though it will be an ‘almost’ home round, it has never been a particularly favourable track for me, but I think this year I’ve got everything in order to bridge this gap as well”.

Sylvain Guintoli: “What an exciting weekend! In Race 1 I felt like I was really fast until the halfway point and then my feeling dropped, so the fourth place finish was the most I could get. In the second race I had a better pace. The others were struggling a lot more to overtake me but in the last two laps I wasn’t able to keep Eugene and Melandri’s pace. The decision that was taken after Sykes’ manoeuvre seemed obvious to me immediately. I’m happy with third place even though I missed out on the podium celebration because the Team deserved it after working so hard. For the championship these are really important points”.

AFTER AN EXCITING SUPERPOLE WITH SPEEDS UP TO ALMOST 340 KPH, THERE ARE THREE APRILIA RSV4S ON THE FRONT TWO ROWS.

Monza, 11 May 2013 – An exciting Superpole, battled at speeds just short of 340 kph, takes the Aprilia Racing Team to the races tomorrow on the Monza circuit as a top contender. This is the umpteenth confirmation of the domination of the Italian brand and its riders in all the WSBK standings.

In fact, the reigning World Champion team placed its two standard bearers in the front row during a spectacular and extremely heated afternoon, with minimal gaps and the top six finishers all within seven tenths of one another.

Eugene Laverty, winner of the last championship race on the Dutch circuit at Assen, finished Superpole in second place, immediately ahead of team mate Sylvain Guintoli, who is currently lying in the lead of the World SBK standings. The two battled it out at record breaking lap times with specialist Tom Sykes, who took home the pole in the end. The speeds reached on Saturday to decide the order on the starting grid were spectacular: in the decisive lap Laverty hit 337.1 kph, the same speed Guintoli reached during the free practice session on Saturday morning.

Superpole held few surprises for the two Aprilia Racing riders astride their powerful RSV4 machines. The first session ended with Guintoli in first place and Laverty second. The second session, which narrows down which nine riders will move through to battle for the first three rows also went quite smoothly. Guintoli came through the session in fourth place and Laverty in fifth. These were excellent results obtained without the use of their qualifier tyres, which were then used in the decisive session. With this result Laverty is on the front row for the eighth consecutive time. In fact, he has not missed out on a start from the best row of the grid since the Moscow 2012 race.

On the other hand this will be Guintoli’s first start from the front row on his RSV4.

This great result for the Italian brand, currently leading the Manufacturer championship, is completed by the second row (sixth best time) put in by the Althea Racing team RSV4 ridden by Davide Giugliano, in confirmation of just how competitive the Aprilia bike is.

Eugene Laverty: “At one point I thought I had done it, but Tom beat me by 78 thousandths of a second. Actually second place on the front row is still an excellent result when you consider our race pace. Tomorrow I hope to be able to take advantage of the full potential of my RSV4. The Aprilias are consistently the fastest and that is an important advantage for us. Monza is a special track. Its characteristics adapt perfectly to my bike and the strong points of my riding style”.

Sylvain Guintoli: “We did a lot of good work, preparing as best as possible in terms of race pace and tyre management. This is my best Superpole so far with Aprilia but we still haven’t taken the top spot. In any case it will be important to start from the front row tomorrow. Especially since it looks like there are several riders who can definitely make a play for the win, so I expect two heated races. Tomorrow we are looking forward to having some fun, giving the fans a good show and leaving Monza with some rich spoils”.

FOUR APRILIA RSV4 BIKES ARE IN THE TOP SEVEN. 

 Monza, 10 May 2013 - On the first day of testing at Monza – free practice in the morning and the first qualifying session in the afternoon – Aprilia proved itself worthy of its double leadership in the World SBK standings (both rider and manufacturer championship), placing all its riders in the top end of the rankings.

The two official Aprilia Racing bikes were immediate protagonists on the super fast Brianza track. The ranking World SBK leader, Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli finished the day with the third best time while his team mate, Northern Irishman Eugene Laverty, winner of the last round at Assen and lying in second place in the championship, put the seventh best time on the boards. For both riders it was a demanding day which had them battling changing track conditions which forced them to look for the best set ups in the various conditions. A normal day at the office for Guintoli, pleasantly surprised by the feeling he found straight away with his RSV4 for his first time with it on the Monza track. Laverty had a few concerns trying to find the best braking set up.

In fact, the opening day of the WSBK Monza round was conditioned by foul weather (the free practice session in the morning was held almost entirely in a driving rain) and by residual oil left on the Ascari turn which caused an hour and a half delay for the first qualifying session, valid for admittance to tomorrow’s Superpole sessions.

In free practice Guintoli even avoided going out on the track altogether whereas Laverty only took 4 laps, just enough to get a taste of the track conditions and assess the wet set up. This was a precaution that proved to be pointless for the times that were put on the board in almost entirely dry track conditions with a grip that improved minute by minute.

The private RSV4 bikes also put in excellent performances. Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) finished the day with the fifth best time and Michel Fabrizio (Red Devils Roma) sixth.

Sylvain Guintoli: “We were finally able to get out on the track! I’ve been thinking about this round for a month, thinking about riding my RSV4 at Monza and the rain this morning plus the delay this afternoon was really frustrating. Once I started to lap I was surprised by the feeling with my bike. My Aprilia really pushes hard and it performed great. I’m confident that we will do very well this weekend”.

Eugene Laverty: “I got off to a bit of a problematic start this morning. We had a few problems with the braking system and that’s an important factor on this track as well as one of my strongest points. Usually it’s quite easy to go fast right from the start at Monza, but it gets more difficult to shave a few tenths of a second off: I have a feeling that it will be the opposite for us. In any case I’m still quite confident since we have a good handle on the problem and we are working to resolve it for tomorrow”.

 SYLVAIN GUINTOLI AND EUGENE LAVERTY ARE FIRST AND SECOND IN THE RIDER STANDINGS.

 APRILIA LEADS THE MANUFACTURER CHAMPIONSHIP.

Noale, 7 May 2013 - After an exciting start, to say the least, the World Superbike Championship embarks on Italy for a round full of thrills and history. In fact, the factory derivative bikes will be tackling the Monza circuit which has always been a stage for challenges that come down to the last turn and record setting speeds. This is a special track for Aprilia, reigning World SBK champion, which has always held their Italian heritage high and won exciting victories thanks to the extraordinary performance of the super fast RSV4.

The 2013 season finds the brand from Noale at the top after three rounds, leading both the Rider and Manufacturer championships. Sylvain Guintoli’s championship lead is completed by Eugene Laverty’s second place, arriving fresh from a win in Race 2 at Assen and back with a vengeance at the top of the SBK Championship. For the Aprilia riders Monza is charged with significance and motivation, reinforced by Eugene and Sylvain’s paster performances on this asphalt: the lad from Northern Ireland took the Supersport victory here in 2010 and in 2011 on his SBK début, while Frenchman Guintoli won the 2012 Superpole under very difficult conditions.

“I am very excited about riding my RSV4 in Monza – confirms Sylvain Guintoli – We came here as ranking leaders, just as the championship is getting heated up. I like this track and it suits the Aprilia perfectly. Hopefully we can beat the all time Superbike top speed record and come back with 2 strong results”.

Eugene Laverty is of the same opinion, charged up from his victory at Assen:“It was important to bounce back with a race victory in Assen. Honestly I didn’t expect to win, which gives me a lot of confidence going into one of our strongest circuits on the calendar. Top speed is very important at Monza and the RSV4 has plenty of that. Let’s hope the weather stays dry and that we can enjoy two great races on Sunday”.

And on the occasion of the first Italian World SBK round Aprilia invites all motorcycle fans to try out the brand new Caponord 1200 from 9 May to Sunday 12 May and to see the extremely sporty 2013 range. At the Aprilia space in the Monza SBK Village, just a short stroll from the Paddock, the entire Aprilia range will be available for your hands-on pleasure: from the unbeatable RSV4 to the Dorsoduro 1200, from the Shiver 750 to the SRV 850, the most powerful and fastest scooter in the world. You can make an appointment to test the Aprilia Caponord, the new street enduro, directly at the Aprilia Space.

Aprilia Caponord 1200 can be test ridden at the following times:

- Thursday 9 May, from 11:00 to 18:00

- Friday 10 May, from 10:00 to 18:00

- Saturday 11 May, from 10:00 to 18:00

- Sunday 12 May, from 10:00 to 13:00

- SYLVAIN GUINTOLI STRENGTHENS HIS HOLD ON THE CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD.

- APRILIA INCREASES THE GAP IN THE MANUFACTURER CHAMPIONSHIP.

Assen (Holland), 28 April 2013 – It was a weekend of satisfaction for the Aprilia Racing Team on the legendary track at Assen in the fourth round of the World SBK season. At the end of the Dutch weekend the Aprilia riders lead the championship standings and the Italian brand increases the gap in the Manufacturer Championship.

Eugene Laverty, starting from the front row for the seventh consecutive time,triumphed in Race 2 after a nail biting duel with English rider Tom Sykes, earning Aprilia’s first win on the Dutch circuit in World Superbike.

This win, combined with his fourth place finish in Race 1, takes the Irish rider tosecond place in the standings, just behind team mate Sylvain Guintoli.

The French rider, after taking a strong third place in Race 1, suffered from a poor feeling with the front end in the second race. This was a problem which, by Guintoli’s own admittance as soon as he had taken off his helmet, kept him from “closing the door” on his rival’s attacks on the third place position that he had boldly achieved six laps from the end, battling with Baz, Rea and Davies. The sixth place final result contributed in any case to strengthening his grip on the championship lead.

After riding to the foot of the podium in Race 1, Eugene Laverty took the track for the second race extremely focused and well motivated not to let Tom Sykes run away at the front and dominate as he had in the first race. Sykes and Laverty quickly pulled ahead of the pack, but the Irishman and his RSV4 never let up even a metre. The gap between the two was never more than a few tenths of a second and 4 laps from the end Laverty made his move and then fought off Sykes’ final assault in the last turns before the finish.

With Laverty’s victory the World SBK standings are now coated with Aprilia colours.

Thanks to his placings today Sylvain Guintoli widens the gap in front of his closest rivals and is now firmly in command of the Rider standings with 111 points. Eugene Laverty moves into second place with 83 points.

In the Manufacturer Championship Aprilia dominates at a distance of 131 points, widening the gap in front of BMW (99 points). They are followed by Kawasaki (94), Honda (70), Suzuki (52) and Ducati (40).

Eugene Laverty: “The little time we had with a dry track created a few problems in Race 1. In fact, before the second race we made some changes to the RSV4, which we usually don’t do because of how risky that is. Actually the changes they made worked really well. I had the right feeling even though I didn’t think I would be stay up with Sykes. But in the end I was able to keep up with his pace. In fact, his wash actually helped me out since there were some strong gusts of wind on the track. Four laps from the end I overtook Tom, even pulling away a few metres, but then the wind kept me from being too precise so he was able to cling back onto me. Winning today was important. We back in the fight for the championship and we were able to leave the troubles from Aragón behind us”.

Sylvain Guintoli: “It’s too bad about the end of Race2. I enjoy a fight in the last laps but this time I just wasn’t able to do it. In Race 1, on the other hand, Rea and I put on a good show and in the end Jonny got the best of me but I had fun. In the second race Tom and my team mate Laverty really had an unbeatable pace. Let’s just say that the second race didn’t go great, but I was able to increase my lead in the championship, widening the gap in front of my closest rivals, and that’s important, especially considering the fact that the next round is Monza, a circuit where Aprilia has always been a strong player”.

SYLVAIN GUINTOLI WILL HAVE TO DEFEND HIS PROVISIONAL FIRST PLACE.

SEVENTH CONSECUTIVE FRONT ROW FOR EUGENE LAVERTY. 

Assen (Holland), 27 April 2013 – The Aprilia Racing Team, reigning WSBK Champion and leader in the Manufacturer rankings, was once again a key player on Superpole Saturday at Assen.

In cold but dry track conditions, Aprilia standard bearers Eugene Laverty and Sylvain Guintoli finished with the third and fourth besttimes respectively. These are placings that will allow the Irishman to start tomorrow’s races from the front row and the Frenchman (current ranking championship leader) from the second.

Laverty demonstrated impressive drive today and will start from the front row for the seventh consecutive time. In fact, the Irishman has not failed to ride his RSV4 to the best row of the grid since the Moscow round last season (August 2012).

Immediately behind him was Guintoli, defending his position as ranking championship leader, achieved thanks to a victory and three second place finishes in the first four races. Another two RSV4 riders in the top nine – Giugliano (sixth) and Fabrizio (ninth) on their private bikes – testifies to the excellent condition of the Aprilia V4.

The Superpole sessions went smoothly for the Aprilia Racing standard bearers, coming through the first two sessions without any trouble, staying at the respectable end of the rankings. In the decisive session the two battled it out with the always-feared Tom Sykes, Superpole specialist, and with Jonathan Rea who is always at home on the Dutch track, leaving rivals in their exhaust who will in any case need to be reckoned with in the races tomorrow, such as Baz, Melandri and Checa.

Eugene Laverty: “I’m really happy to be on the front row. Today I thought it would be difficult after the free practice sessions because, besides Sykes and myself, Rea and Sylvain were also quite quick. In the end when Tom puts the qualifying tyre on he’s basically unbeatable and Jonny put in a perfect lap, so I’ll be starting from the third spot on the grid. Tomorrow the races will also be difficult since today is the only day we’ve been able to test in the dry. Understanding how the tyres will perform and how to manage them over the race distance will make the difference. We’ll have some work to do this evening and during the warm ups tomorrow morning to be ready for the starting grid”.

Sylvain Guintoli: “This time I was just a shout from the front row. My feeling with the qualifying tyre is getting better with each race. I’m really happy in any case, as it is always important to start from the front two rows. I’m right behind Tom, who is a strong starter, so I’ll just need to follow him and then overtake him! All joking aside, I’m confident for tomorrow. Usually my pace gets better during the race compared to qualifying sessions, as we saw at Phillip Island and Aragon. Let’s hope the final result will also be similar”.

APRILIA, LEADING THE CHAMPIONSHIP, DEFENDS FIRST PLACE IN THE MANUFACTURER STANDINGS.

Noale, 23 April 2013 – The Assen University of motorcycling hosts World Superbike for the third round of the championship calendar. The first four races have returned quite a clear verdict: Aprilia is at the top of both standings – manufacturer and rider with Sylvain Guintoli.

After absolutely dominating at Phillip Island, Aragon provided entertainment and unexpected turns of events. Guintoli, who had never been fond of the Spanish track, left Alcaniz with two excellent second place finished which moved him ahead to 85 points. On the other hand, hard luck plagued Eugene Laverty’s Sunday, starting off as a favourite to win, but forced to withdraw from both races.

Sylvain Guintoli, who has excellent memories of Assen, will take on the Dutch track in the best possible physical and psychological conditions. His feeling with his new team and his RSV4 has by now been reinforced, so much that he was able to come out of a difficult weekend like Aragon with head held high.

“We come to Assen leading the championship and with growing confidence. In Aragon, I had to face my demons! Together with my team, we worked hard and manage to get 2 great results. Assen is a place with many great memories. I had my first world stage podium (with Aprilia!) in 250 back in 2003 and also my 1st WSBK victory last year. I am excited to race again on this fantastic track and to enjoy once again the RSV4”.

Eugene Laverty has more of a considered judgement, looking for redemption here at Assen on a track where in 2012 he rode to his first podium under Aprilia Racing colours.

“I’ve put Aragon behind me and I’m thinking only about the remainder of the season. There’s no point in dwelling on it. Assen was the venue of my first podium finish on the Aprilia last year and so I have fond memories of riding the RSV4 around there. I really enjoy the flowing nature of the circuit and it usually makes for close racing. We know that the BMWs and Kawasaki of Tom Sykes will be strong but the Honda duo could be up there too”.

LAVERTY, OUT FRONT IN BOTH RACES, IS HELD UP BY A TECHNICAL PROBLEM AND THEN A CRASH.

Aprilia confirms the lead in all the World SBK standings. Sylvan Guintoli strengthens his hold on the championship lead with two strong second place finishes and widens the spread between him and the nearest rival to 22 points, now Englishman Davies – double winner at Aragon.

An exceptional performance by the French Aprilia RSV4 rider who has been in the top two for the first four races of the season. In the Australian round he took the win in the opening race and second place (behind team mate Laverty) in Race 2. In Spain he confirms his role as a key player in the championship with two second place finishes. This is a streak that earns him 85 points which put him in the lead of the championship, ahead of Davies (63 points), Aprilia Racing team mate Eugene Laverty (45) and Melandri (43).

As a result of the performance by the French rider and his Aprilia RSV4, Aprilia Racing maintains the Manufacturer Championship lead with 90 points. The Italian bike is followed by BMW (79 points), Kawasaki (49), Honda (37), Suzuki (35) and Ducati (28).

“In the first race I was a bit worried – confessed a smiling Sylvain Guintoli – because I was really struggling, as I had been throughout the weekend. Aragon is perhaps my most dreaded track, so two second places are a really great result. I must thank the Aprilia Team, the engineers and my crew chief, Aligi Deganello, because thanks to them I was able to ride very well in Race 2. The changes we kept making to the RSV4 worked as they should have even if Chaz was really impossible to beat. I’m going to Assen with a lot of confidence. The results today are a perfect way to announce the arrival of my fourth child!”

Eugene Laverty had an incredible weekend, turning up with the championship lead and showing that he was definitely in the run for the win during practice sessions, but having his ambitions slip through his fingers while in the lead for both races. In the first race he was stopped by a mechanical breakdown of the exhaust valve motor while, after leading from the start, he was trying to break away from the pack. In Race 2, in the lead once again, it was a crash – without injury to the rider – that put him out of the race. However, the potential Eugene displayed is assurance of his return as a key player for the Assen round.

“Race 1 was truly disappointing. I was in the lead and had a good pace, but I had already noticed that something wasn’t working properly on the bike. I had to stop in the pits which cost me 6 laps, but I knew I could make a comeback in Race 2. Instead, the double starting procedure created some problems for me because the tyres cooled off a bit. In fact I lost the rear first and then the front which caused me to crash. It definitely wasn’t the perfect Sunday, but there is still plenty of championship left and I’m encouraged by the fact that I had all the prerequisites, hard luck permitting, to aim for a good result here too”.

FIRST AND SECOND ROW FOR APRILIA RACING AT ARAGON.

FOURTH TIME AND SECOND ROW FOR SYLVAIN GUINTOLI.

Aragon (Spain), 13 April 2013 – The Aprilia Racing riders confirmed the good impressions from the Friday sessions and astride their official RSV4 Factory bikes they were key players in the Superpole session that decided the starting grid for the races tomorrow.

Laverty and Guintoli – who are tied in the World SBK rankings lead after a win and a second place each during the opening round in Australia – came through the first of the three Superpole sessions easily, both saving their qualifier tyres.

Starting the second session on qualifiers from the first lap, the two riders quickly put themselves in a safe position (Laverty second and Guintoli sixth, later dropping to eighth place just before the end of the session) to go through to the decisive round where only the top nine participate.

In the decisive session Eugene Laverty showed that he was quite ready to take advantage of the high performance tyre and immediately stopped the clock with the second best time (1’56.638), less than 3 tenths behind pole specialist Tom Sykes. An excellent performance by Sylvain Guintoli as well who, after hovering in ninth and seventh place during the sessions yesterday and this morning, took an excellent fourth place (in 1’57.486) which will put him in the best spot on the second row of the grid tomorrow.

Eugene Laverty is well aware that he can shoot for an important result: “Our goal is always to qualify on the front row and we managed to do that here at Aragon as well. Today we worked quite well, especially in the last free practice session where we found some good solutions for our race pace. Superpole went according to schedule. Second place is an excellent position to start from. Tomorrow will be difficult because there are at least four other riders other then myself who are quite capable of making a play for the win. There have always been some great battles on this track, we’ll definitely be in the game and we’ll have our sights set on the top step of the podium”.

“Superpole went better than I had hoped – confessed Sylvain Guintoli – I don’t like to make excuses, but I think that I am still lacking something compared to the other riders in terms of race pace. In any case I took the first spot on the second row which is a good placing since it puts me on the outside of the first brake. I have never achieved good results on this track so tomorrow I will be looking for two good races. The feeling with my RSV4 increases lap by lap and that makes me hopeful, I want to take full advantage of all their strong points like I did at Phillip Island”.

Super Pole times

1. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R 1m 56.339s 
2. Eugene Laverty IRL Aprilia Racing RSV4 1m 56.638s 
3. Chaz Davies GBR BMW GoldBet S1000RR HP4 1m 56.845s
4. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Aprilia Racing RSV4 1m 57.486s
5. Jules Cluzel FRA Fixi Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 1m 57.540s
6. Loris Baz FRA Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R 1m 57.869s
7. Davide Giugliano ITA Althea Aprilia RSV4 1m 57.975s
8. Marco Melandri ITA BMW GoldBet S1000RR HP4 1m 58.268s
9. Jonathan Rea GBR Pata Honda CBR1000RR 2m 01.613s

10. Carlos Checa ESP Alstare Ducati 1199 R 1m 58.326s
11. Leon Haslam GBR Pata Honda CBR1000RR 1m 58.329s
12. Max Neukirchner GER MR Ducati 1199 R 1m 58.993s 

13. Ayrton Badovini ITA Alstare Ducati 1199 R 1m 59.475s
14. Michel Fabrizio ITA Red Devils Roma Aprilia RSV4 1m 59.478s
15. Alexander Lundh SWE Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 2m 01.029s

Did not progress to Superpole

16. Federico Sandi ITA Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 2m 00.979s 
17. Ivan Clementi ITA HTM Racing BMW S1000RR 2m 02.140s
18. Mark Aitchison AUS Effenbert Liberty Ducati 1098R 2m 02.554s
19. Vittorio Iannuzzo ITA Grillini Dentalmatic BMW S1000RR 2m 03.201s

Motorland Aragon official WSBK lap records
Best lap: Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R 1m 56.339s (2013)
Race lap record: Marco Melandri ITA BMW Motorrad S1000RR 1m 58.251s (2012)

AT ARAGON EUGENE LAVERTY STOPS THE CLOCK WITH THE BEST TIME IN THE FIRST QUALIFIERS.
SYLVAIN GUINTOLI IS SATISFIED WITH HIS BIKE AND THE FIRST DAY.

Aragon (Spain), 12 April 2013 – Aprilia Racing, reigning WSBK champion team and ranking leader in the 2013 season, got off to a good start for the weekend leading up to the Sunday races for the second round of the championship on the Spanish track at Aragon.

After the double win during the opening round at Phillip Island, with Guintoli and Laverty winning both races and consequently finishing the weekend tied for first place in the rider standings, expectations are high for the Italian team. Expectations which, on the first day of testing (free practice in the morning and qualifiers in the afternoon) did not disappoint.

Eugene Laverty, with an excellent last lap, stopped the clock with the best time of the day at 1’58.548, leaving all the rivals behind and significantly improving with respect to his time in the morning free practice sessions (1’59.651) which had resulted in a strong fourth place.
Sylvain Guintoli also made a clear improvement, shaving well over a second off his times from the practice sessions and ending the first qualifiers with the sixth best time at 1’59.144.
As always Friday was spent looking for the best settings in view of tomorrow’s Superpole and – above all – the races Sunday. However, Laverty’s time and the excellent impressions Guintoli reported despite the fact that the Frenchman, only in his second race astride the RSV4, is still trying to find the right groove on the Spanish track, are excellent indicators for a weekend that promises to be quite heated, judging from the fact that the top 10 riders are all within one second of one another.

“We worked quite a bit on the electronics today – explained Laverty – because I wasn’t satisfied with them during free practice this morning, especially going into turns. There is still room for improvement but we’re moving in the right direction and our times show it. We just need to make it easier to maintain the pace for more laps in view of the race. Tomorrow we’ll see what happens, the track will probably have better grip so we’ll adapt our setting in order to be ready Sunday”.

Sylvain’s analysis is quite clear: “Today I didn’t ride well, but I’m not too worried given my position and the gap with the front runners. It seems like the bike is working very well, I just need to settle down and ride calmly. Maybe the fact that I’ve never had good results at Aragon makes me a bit tense and my riding style needs to be smooth for my best performance. I think a good night’s rest is what I need to get on the track tomorrow in the best possible conditions since my RSV4 is very effective here”.