The start of the World Superbike season at Phillip Island in February was definitely reinforcement for the confidence of the Aprilia Racing Team and its standard bearers, Eugene Laverty and Sylvain Guintoli. Two wins, full spoils in the manufacturer championship, a tie for the leadership of the rider championship and the high level of competitiveness also demonstrated by the satellite team bikes are reason for high hopes in the 2013 season.

The long break before Aragon (14 April) allowed the team from Veneto to work on the RSV4, a package which has proven to be in just as good condition as its riders, but there is always room for improvement.

This is exactly why the testing session organised at Jerez de la Frontera that ended today plays an essential role in the balance of this first leg of the championship. The Aprilia RSV4 has not been radically modified since last season, but it has undergone a targeted evolution to make fine tuning easier and to make it less susceptible to variations in weather conditions, affecting only the chassis set-up and the electronics.

Both riders agree that the 2013 advancements are positive, demonstrating their confidence in view of the upcoming races but without overestimating the extraordinary Australian result.


The Aprilia Racing Test Team was also present at Jerez, along with test rider Alex Hofmann.

Looking at the numbers, Eugene Laverty put in 140 laps with his best performance clocking in at 1’41.47, while Sylvain Guintoli took 121 laps, putting in a best time of 1’42.79.

“We certainly got off on the right foot at Phillip Island – confirmed Gigi Dall’Igna, Aprilia Racing Technical and Sport Director – with results that provide us with confirmation of the good job we did over the winter break. However, in the racing world if you snooze you lose, especially if you base everything on a single, albeit excellent, result. We are fully aware that not every weekend will be like the one in Australia, so we will keep working on the RSV4 and testing new solutions that will allow us to gain precious tenths of a second. These tests are also important for the riders. A long break between the first and second round could lead to a drop in tension. I must say that Eugene and Sylvain are two great professionals. They are very skilled at enhancing and developing the work done by our engineers and mechanics. This is an excellent calling card for the rest of the season”.





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