Italy will have their dream team this weekend at Imola, because Marco Simoncelli has decided to take up the challenge and will make his World Superbike debut on the Aprilia RSV-4 alongside Max Biaggi.
“I’m very happy with this test and I was pretty fast and together with the bike managed to improve a lot, and I found it much better when I tried it at Valencia last year.
We worked with the team to find the right set-up and at Imola it will be important to find a good set-up right as quick as possible that will make things easier.
”“I’d like to thank Aprilia for this great opportunity, I will be making my debut in a category and on a track that are completely unknown to me, the level of our rivals is very high and it won’t be at all easy to obtain a good result as I haven’t had much time on a four stroke and I’ve never raced with Pirelli tires, I’ve never even walked around Imola on foot.
”Simoncelli had all eyes on him today at Mugello, Aprilia bigwigs Gigi Dall’Igna, Giampiero Sacchi, Simoncelli’s current boss Gilera/Aprilia’s Luca Boscoscuro and even Simoncelli’s future boss in MotoGP Fausto Gresini was curious and showed up to see Marco Simoncelli in action on the Aprilia RSV-4.
Simoncelli did at total of 91 laps with a best time of 1’53”55.
Max Biaggi was also testing at Mugello today, after his daughter’s birth yesterday at Montecarlo.
Biaggi is just as curious as everyone to see how Simoncelli will do in this race because Simoncelli is also a 250cc World Champion, just like the Roman Emperor.
“I am very pleased for Marco.
Simoncelli is welcome and it will be fun and stimulating to have him in the team even if it will be for only one race.
I think it is a good opportunity for him.
I hope Nakano will soon recover from the neck injury he had in Germany.
”According to Italian website Gpone, Simoncelli will receive a money bonus if he places fifth or better in one of the races and the Italian rider has also asked Aprilia if he can keep his Gilera/Aprilia RSA 250 as a memento at the end of this year’s 250cc Championship series.