WORLD SUPERBIKE ARRIVES IN ITALY: ON THE HISTORIC “ENZO E DINO FERRARI” RACETRACK APRILIA IS KEEN TO STAY ON TOP
LEON HASLAM: “A HAIR RAISING TRACK. I LIKE THE ATMOSPHERE”
JORDI TORRES: “ANOTHER NEW TRACK FOR ME. THERE WILL BE A LOT OF WORK TO DO”
Imola, 6 May 2015 – The 4936 metres of the “Enzo e Dino Ferrari” Imola circuit will host the first Italian round of the 2015 World Superbike season. For the fifth round of the year the top category for factory derivative bikes will take on one of the most complex and fascinating tracks on the calendar, an “old style” track that brings out the capabilities of both the vehicle and the rider.
Team Aprilia Racing – Red Devils and the reigning World Champion RSV4 bikes will arrive at their home race with Leon Haslam second in the overall standings. The British rider loves the track along the banks of the Santerno, always chock full of fans, and he is ready to take on the weekend knowing he can count on the hard work the Team has been doing during the last few weeks of down time. The results of this early phase of the season have definitely been encouraging but the new RSV4 RF still has room for improvement.
Leon Haslam: “I really can’t wait to get things going again at Imola. Even though it’s not an easy track, it is one I always enjoy. The atmosphere of the Italian fans and the history of the track always give me goose bumps. I also know the team has been working hard in the weeks off so it’s exciting to get back on track”.
Rookie Jordi Torres is taking on the Imola circuit for the first time and it is certainly not the easiest track to learn. In any case Jordi has demonstrated an ability to quickly adapt to the new category and his work method could very well allow him to find speed and confidence straight away. For him there is a particularly wide margin for improvement in his first Superbike season. The main goal is to close the gap behind the lead pack and to keep pace with the best so he can begin to stay within reach of the podium.
Jordi Torres: “Imola is also a new track for me. I have prepared as much as possible with video games and films, although it isn’t easy to figure out the nature of such a complex circuit. I’ll be riding onto the track with a great desire to do well and to stay close to the best riders, even if not knowing the track makes everything more difficult. We’ll keep working on fine tuning my RSV4 in braking and from an electronics point of view in order to try to push the bike and tyres to the limit.”