Aprilia’s PR department pulled a fast one yesterday.
After announcing that Marco Simoncelli would be racing at the World Superbike round at Imola this weekend in their official press release, they also wrote that Simoncelli had lapped three tenths of a second faster than veteran rider Max Biaggi.
Biaggi, who was testing other material on the Aprilia RSV4, was not convinced about Simoncelli’s lap time and asked the team to check over the times and found that Simoncelli lapped one tenth of a second slower than he did.
Biaggi to say the least was slightly upset with Aprilia, stating: “They retouched the times to highlight Simoncelli’s partecipation and you can understand that isn’t very fair”.
Aprilia corrected their press release, but today in his personal website Biaggi explained the situation from his point of view:Dear friends, the Mugello tests went well.
As you’ve read there was a little problem about the times, that without any motive were purposely modified.
Heaven forbid, a tenth or due doesn’t count especially while your testing, but I didn’t like it and I pointed it out to the person in charge.
Naturally there wasn’t a conspiracy, just a little thoughtlessness, but those who know me understand how serious I’m about racing.
Evidently someone forgot and we did our best to remind them.
Racing is fun, but to have fun you have to be serious! Frankly, I don’t like sensationalism and motorcycle racing is so wonderful and exciting that it doesn’t need to be pumped up for the media.