Aprilia Racing

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 tires 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 tire 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 tires, 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”.