Vallelunga tests, 28-30th October 2006
Circuit: 4.085 kms. Weather: Dry, sunny (all 3 days)
MAX IN POSITIVE MOOD.
Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Max Biaggi ended the
three-day tests at Vallelunga in a positive frame of mind
and is already looking forward to the next tests in Valencia
in early November. Although Vallelunga could be described
at his ‘home circuit’ Max has not been to the
4.085 kilometre track in over fifteen years. As a new section
has only been added recently, Max started the tests as if
he had never seen the circuit before. During the three days,
he only worked with race rubber as he wanted to get the feel
of the GSX-R1000 K6 and the Pirellis before even trying to
make fast laps.
The weather was perfect during the tests, though on occasions
it was a little on the hot side, but Max still managed to
put in over seventy laps on each of the second and third days.
At the end, the team packed up and began the trek home whilst
Max took the opportunity to relax in Rome for a short while
before returning to Monte Carlo.
MAX
It’s a little funny that everybody seems to think that
this is my home circuit, because I haven’t been here
for a long time - maybe fifteen or sixteen years! There is
a brand new section also, so I started off learning the track
- like anybody else arriving at a new circuit. I can’t
fully say if Vallelunga is a good track for testing because
we had so much to do here and really I’d only be able
to tell with more experience of it and also if some other
riders were testing at the same time. The main part of these
days is to begin the process of learning lots of new and different
things.
The bike is heavier than what I have been used to for a start
and that means you have to do a lot work getting a good balance
and making the suspension work the way you want. Then of course,
I have to learn what riding on Pirellis is like and when you
change one area of the bike how it affects another area. Being
away from roadracing for over a year means that my approach
at the moment is steady rather than dramatic.
I like things to be right and I am determined to work as
hard as it takes to get the bike as good as it can be. We
had a few minor problems during the tests, but nothing major
and I’m sure that we’ll see further improvements
in the next tests. I have also been getting used to working
with a completely new bunch of guys and that is another thing
that takes a bit of time. We are all working to a common goal
and our aim is to competitive for sure by the time the first
race starts next year.
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