![4.ApriliaWSBK_Biaggi]()
Max Biaggi is back. Exactly 986 days since his last race, the 44-year-old is returning to competition at Misano as a wild card for
Aprilia, alongside Leon Haslam and Jordi Torres. Last time Biaggi raced was on October 7, 2012, at Magny Cours, France, where he clinched his second World Superbike title.
This return will be a huge challenge for the 6-time world champion, especially in light of what happened this year when 46-year-old Troy Bayliss filled in for the injured Davide Giugliano at Ducati. For Bayliss, this was a last-minute decision after seven years away. For Biaggi, this is a planned return, a special gift from Aprilia. Biaggi has tested at least three times at Misano, and he has arrived at the track fit and focused, with the enthusiasm of a kid. Expectations were high, and the time sheets on Friday showed that Biaggi is still very fast. He dominated both practices, and his fast lap of 1:35.380 eclipsed Tom Sykes’ record lap of 1:35.629 from last year. While the race may be another story, for the moment it appears that Biaggi hasn’t lost a step.
![Max Biaggi race action shot]()
CW: You said your reference was Troy Bayliss, but will you be happy finishing 8th?
MB: I have a lot of respect for Troy, but I wouldn’t be happy with this result. Regarding myself, we tested with the Superbike machine at least three times here. The main reason for my return is not the result. It is the feeling behind this decision. We had a great Friday, but Friday doesn’t count. Winning is not in my possibility, but I expect to do a good race.
CW: Seeing your name on the top of the time sheets, did you regret your decision to retire? Did you count how many titles you may have won?
MB: I haven’t thought about it. When you close the book, it’s over. When I decided to retire, the priority was to spend quality time with my family after 20 racing seasons. It’s hard to have a family life when you race. Rossi, for example, doesn’t have kids.
CW: How difficult is it for a rider to decide to retire?
MB: Stepping away from a big passion (bikes) to do something different is not easy, especially the first year. There is the routine of 20 years of racing. You wake up in the morning and you are used to a fixed schedule: training, bike, etc. And I miss the adrenaline. The adrenaline pushes you to give more than your 100 percent, and it helps you to heal sooner. This I experienced myself. When you are not racing anymore, you miss this healing effect of the adrenaline.
![Max Biaggi race action shot]()
CW: Asked about your return, Valentino Rossi said in Catalunya that “if you stay fit and you keep riding, it’s hard not to want to race.” Is that true?
MB: There is some truth in that, because when you train properly to be fit, there is some sacrifice. Athletes usually stop training when they quit and they gain some kilos. But I train regularly. I do it for the pleasure to be fit and to keep my mind fresh. But of course, in road racing, being fit is only one part of the game. You need to be fast. After three years, what you miss is the need to be fast and the race rhythm. It’s not so easy to be back with the new rules and a new bike. Your mind is used to the old rules.
CW: You set the fastest time today, after three years away. Does this show that level of the SBK grid is low?
MB: I wouldn’t say that. The first top five riders are really fast and I think that Johnny Rea didn’t give his maximum today.
CW: What is the level of the Aprilia RSV4 RF?
MB: When I tested this bike in March it was a kind of shock. There is a big difference compared with what I was used to ride. The level is lower compared to three years ago. Not because Aprilia forgot how to make good bikes. It’s because the new rules go more in the direction of a standard bike, so in a way Aprilia was penalized.
![Max Biaggi race action shot]()
CW: Jonathan Rea said that you, as a wild card, have a huge advantage because you can use a fresh engine and different gearbox.
MB: I don’t agree. Here at Misano, there is not a long straight where a fresh new engine can give you some advantages. Our gearbox is similar to the one used by Jordi [Torres] or Leon [Haslam]. If it was Monza, I could have had an advantage. To really see the difference, you need a fast track. Monza, for example.
CW: What did really drive you back racing?
MB: Honestly, it was kind of challenge for me. Before starting my career as a rider, I was skiing almost at a professional level. I was still young, but when I arrived in the GP paddock, I was a real athlete, I think with the best physical preparation. Now that I am almost 44, I want to see how my body responds. I put myself into the most difficult situation to see how I can handle it—returning after three years in the Italian round with an Italian team on an Italian bike. You can imagine the pressure! It was a cherry on the cake from Aprilia. For this reason, I wanted to enjoy this experience with the test team, the guys that work in the shadows every day. Many of them belong to the same crew that was with Marcellino Lucchi in the early 1990s. They are nervous and enthusiastic as if it was the first day of school.
CW: What do you think about a possible return of Casey Stoner?
MB: I would love to see Casey back. I think he can surprise many people in the MotoGP line up.
CW:
Who do you see favorite in the hunt of the MotoGP title?
MB: I see two Yamahas and Marc [Marquez], who is struggling. The world standing is clear: I think Valentino [Rossi] and Jorge [Lorenzo] will fight until the very last race.
![Max Biaggi race action shot]()
CW: What is your opinion about Marco Melandri’s results on the MotoGP Aprilia?
MB: I can understand that this year is really hard. The project is still hybrid: half MotoGP, half Superbike. It’s not a proper bike, but he knew that in advance.
CW: Will you be back also in Malaysia?
MB: It’s not 100 percent confirmed. I asked to make a test there, because it’s been almost 10 years since I raced in Sepang. At the moment, I don’t know if it’s possible.
![1.ApriliaWSBK_Biaggi]()
![4.ApriliaWSBK_Biaggi]()
![0232_P08_Aprilia_box]()
![0249_P08_Biaggi_Giugliano]()
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Max Biaggi is back. Exactly 986 days since his last race, the 44-year-old is returning to competition at Misano as a wild card for Aprilia, alongside Leon Haslam and Jordi Torres. Last time Biaggi raced was on October 7, 2012, at Magny Cours, France, where he clinched his second World Superbike title.
This return will be a huge challenge for the 6-time world champion, especially in light of what happened this year when 46-year-old Troy Bayliss filled in for the injured Davide Giugliano at Ducati. For Bayliss, this was a last-minute decision after seven years away. For Biaggi, this is a planned return, a special gift from Aprilia. Biaggi has tested at least three times at Misano, and he has arrived at the track fit and focused, with the enthusiasm of a kid. Expectations were high, and the time sheets on Friday showed that Biaggi is still very fast. He dominated both practices, and his fast lap of 1:35.380 eclipsed Tom Sykes’ record lap of 1:35.629 from last year. While the race may be another story, for the moment it appears that Biaggi hasn’t lost a step.
CW: You said your reference was Troy Bayliss, but will you be happy finishing 8th?
MB: I have a lot of respect for Troy, but I wouldn’t be happy with this result. Regarding myself, we tested with the Superbike machine at least three times here. The main reason for my return is not the result. It is the feeling behind this decision. We had a great Friday, but Friday doesn’t count. Winning is not in my possibility, but I expect to do a good race.
CW: Seeing your name on the top of the time sheets, did you regret your decision to retire? Did you count how many titles you may have won?
MB: I haven’t thought about it. When you close the book, it’s over. When I decided to retire, the priority was to spend quality time with my family after 20 racing seasons. It’s hard to have a family life when you race. Rossi, for example, doesn’t have kids.
CW: How difficult is it for a rider to decide to retire?
MB: Stepping away from a big passion (bikes) to do something different is not easy, especially the first year. There is the routine of 20 years of racing. You wake up in the morning and you are used to a fixed schedule: training, bike, etc. And I miss the adrenaline. The adrenaline pushes you to give more than your 100 percent, and it helps you to heal sooner. This I experienced myself. When you are not racing anymore, you miss this healing effect of the adrenaline.
CW: Asked about your return, Valentino Rossi said in Catalunya that “if you stay fit and you keep riding, it’s hard not to want to race.” Is that true?
MB: There is some truth in that, because when you train properly to be fit, there is some sacrifice. Athletes usually stop training when they quit and they gain some kilos. But I train regularly. I do it for the pleasure to be fit and to keep my mind fresh. But of course, in road racing, being fit is only one part of the game. You need to be fast. After three years, what you miss is the need to be fast and the race rhythm. It’s not so easy to be back with the new rules and a new bike. Your mind is used to the old rules.
CW: You set the fastest time today, after three years away. Does this show that level of the SBK grid is low?
MB: I wouldn’t say that. The first top five riders are really fast and I think that Johnny Rea didn’t give his maximum today.
CW: What is the level of the Aprilia RSV4 RF?
MB: When I tested this bike in March it was a kind of shock. There is a big difference compared with what I was used to ride. The level is lower compared to three years ago. Not because Aprilia forgot how to make good bikes. It’s because the new rules go more in the direction of a standard bike, so in a way Aprilia was penalized.
CW: Jonathan Rea said that you, as a wild card, have a huge advantage because you can use a fresh engine and different gearbox.
MB: I don’t agree. Here at Misano, there is not a long straight where a fresh new engine can give you some advantages. Our gearbox is similar to the one used by Jordi [Torres] or Leon [Haslam]. If it was Monza, I could have had an advantage. To really see the difference, you need a fast track. Monza, for example.
CW: What did really drive you back racing?
MB: Honestly, it was kind of challenge for me. Before starting my career as a rider, I was skiing almost at a professional level. I was still young, but when I arrived in the GP paddock, I was a real athlete, I think with the best physical preparation. Now that I am almost 44, I want to see how my body responds. I put myself into the most difficult situation to see how I can handle it—returning after three years in the Italian round with an Italian team on an Italian bike. You can imagine the pressure! It was a cherry on the cake from Aprilia. For this reason, I wanted to enjoy this experience with the test team, the guys that work in the shadows every day. Many of them belong to the same crew that was with Marcellino Lucchi in the early 1990s. They are nervous and enthusiastic as if it was the first day of school.
CW: What do you think about a possible return of Casey Stoner?
MB: I would love to see Casey back. I think he can surprise many people in the MotoGP line up.
CW: Who do you see favorite in the hunt of the MotoGP title?
MB: I see two Yamahas and Marc [Marquez], who is struggling. The world standing is clear: I think Valentino [Rossi] and Jorge [Lorenzo] will fight until the very last race.
CW: What is your opinion about Marco Melandri’s results on the MotoGP Aprilia?
MB: I can understand that this year is really hard. The project is still hybrid: half MotoGP, half Superbike. It’s not a proper bike, but he knew that in advance.
CW: Will you be back also in Malaysia?
MB: It’s not 100 percent confirmed. I asked to make a test there, because it’s been almost 10 years since I raced in Sepang. At the moment, I don’t know if it’s possible.
