There will be a sequel to Max Biaggi’s return to World SBK as a wild card at Misano on 21 June.
Biaggi will be racing again astride the Aprilia RSV4 RF on 2 August for the next Malaysian round of World SBK on the Sepang circuit. This is episode two after the interest and enthusiasm that the Misano race stirred up in the fans.
Max, six-time World Champion (four times in 250 and twice in Superbike), five of which with Aprilia, will race once again thanks to the second wild card of the season, taking with him the team that accompanied him to Misano.
Biaggi astonished everyone there with his performance on the Italian track. Returning almost three years after his retirement, Max – at 44 years of age and driven by pure passion and the desire to get back into the game – stayed in the lead for all the Friday practice sessions. The second row on the starting grid and the two races that he finished in sixth place (the second one less than a second behind the winner) proved that his class is intact and he is physically fit.
Max Biaggi is the only Italian rider ever to have been crowned World SBK Champion, the first time in 2010 and then the brace in his last season of racing, in 2012. Both of the championship wreaths were earned astride the Aprilia RSV4, a bike that Max developed, having ridden it since it first appeared in 2009, and the true dominator in the category with seven world titles (three Rider and four Manufacturer) won from 2010 to 2014.
Max Biaggi: “The wild card at Misano was great. It was a great show of affection and passion by all motorcycle racing fans. Not even I could have imagined the participation and involvement that it stimulated. And for me it was a great moment of sports competition. Throughout the weekend I had a great time on the track, particularly Friday and in the two races, especially the second one. All of this convinced us… not to leave the job half done. But I must admit that the real challenge is finding the strong motivation to take this new chance at Sepang, a track where I haven’t raced in many years and where I have never raced in Superbike. Anyway, it won’t be easy to repeat the same performance levels of Misano, but the beauty of this return also lies in accepting difficult challenges. We’ll work our hardest to be ready.”
Romano Albesiano (Aprilia Racing Manager): “Max’s return at Misano stemmed from his passion and a desire that many had to see him racing again. The result was so positive, even in terms of how much passion that return aroused, that it was only natural to think of a second episode. Sepang is a track that traditionally goes well with the RSV. On the other hand, Max hasn’t been there for ten years and he has never raced with SBK there. But once again, the curiosity of watching him take on this new and exciting challenge will prevail.”
