From press releases:

Noale 7 December 2001


Aprilia S.p.A. is pleased to announce the signing of an agreement which marks the end of the first stage in drawing up its Superbike sports programme for the forthcoming 2002 World Championship.

Aprilia is to entrust management of its official RSV Mille bikes to teams of the highest professional and technical level.

The first agreement of the 2002 season has been signed with Florence based FGF Corse, a world leader in motorcycle racing.

FGF Corse vast experience in racing and its prestigious prize record certainly make this a most auspicious omen for a year 2002 packed with success.

FGF Corse will enjoy the full support of the Aprilia Racing Department, which will be providing the finest materials and technology and it will benefit from all the latest technology as it becomes available throughout the season from the Noale Research and Development Centre.

This is thus a prestigious mission for FGF Corse, which has made a head start with an important and ambitious acquisition for 2002: that of the talented Japanese rider, Noriyuki Haga.

Indeed, the 26-year-old from Aichi will be one of the standard-bearers of the RSV Mille and of Aprilia technology in the World Championship of production-based bikes.

Aprilia S.p.A. and its President, Ing. Ivano Beggio, wish the very best of luck to all those who will be taking up this new challenge for the World Superbike title.



FGF Corse

Press Office

Florence 7 December 2001

FGF Corse is honoured to announce the signing of an agreement which links it to Aprilia for the 2002 Superbike season.

FGF Corse will be managing the official RSV Mille bikes of the Noale Racing Department for the entire SBK World Championship next year.

Sport and technical management will be in the hands of Giacomo Guidotti, a prime mover in FGF, the prize-winning Florence-based racing company.

Together with the new assignment from Aprilia comes another trump card for the Florentine company: An agreement has been reached for the 2002 season with the Japanese talent Noriyuki Haga.

The daredevil ace from Aichi will be FGF Corse’s spearhead challenger for the next World Superbike title.

Noriyuki Haga’s career can only be described as fantastic: Winner of the 8 Hours in Suzuka in ’96, Japanese Superbike Champion in ’97, 84 races in the World Superbike with no fewer than 11 victories in ’98, ’99 and 2000. After his experience in the top-of-the-range GP class this year, Noriyuki today celebrates his return to the competition for four-stroke production-based bikes.

And the Japanese ace’s great return will be astride an official Aprilia RSV Mille.

“I’m excited about coming back to four-stroke bikes but more than anything because I’ll have an official Aprilia RSV Mille in 2002. This bike’s a winner”, said Noriyuki Haga, “What’s more, I’ll have the pleasure of being with an Italian team which has already notched up countless successes. I’ve been able to see the bikes close up and I must say I’m really impressed”.

“This twin agreement is extremely important for us in FGF Corse”, added Giacomo Guidotti. “We’ll do our utmost to honour this prestigious assignment from Aprilia. Having Noriyuki with us gives us extra optimism – his skill and talent mean we’ve got every reason to hope for a string of successes in 2002.”