Soup :: SuperBikePlanet.com Interview Max Biaggi


Four-time world champion Max Biaggi teams with Aprilia for 2009. He looks to the future and back at his past in this interview. image by wolf jay flywheel

There are very few riders of this era—or any other era, frankly—who can boast a resume as richly textured as Max Biaggi's. The fiery Italian has ridden for Aprilia, Honda, Yamaha, Ducati, Suzuki, and now, Max has come full circle and is now back with Aprilia again—this time in World Superbike instead of Grand Prix or MotoGP. Clearly one of motorcycle roadracing's most familiar faces the world over, The Roman Emperor is rapidly closing in on his twentieth year in the sport. And, when you've turned a motorcycle wheel in anger for almost two decades, you're eminently experienced and uniquely qualified to comment on all sorts of racing-related subjects. We recently grabbed some phone time with Max, and he did just that.

Q Max, how does the V4 Aprilia feel to ride? Does it feel like the Ducati? Does it feel like the Suzuki you rode before that?

A It feels like more close on the way of Suzuki, for sure. Not even close to Ducati in the way the two cylinders go, the behavior. That bike is two cylinder less, it makes a big difference. It's pushing out of the corner in a different way compared to Ducati. But it's more close to Suzuki, which is in-line four. So what I think is, it feels like, young. It feels like it's a young project. Supposed to be, supposed to have another four-five months to work more around the bike, around the engine behavior, the engine power delivery and chassis. It's all connecting. But I'll say that for sure we're going to start this two rounds of the season with not so many possibility to change things around, or maybe try on weekend of the race, because we have just one more try, one more test, in Phillip Island before the race. And we hope for the test that something came out to make us ... to battle for the positions up at the front.

Q Do you think it is realistic this year that you could be on the podium, or win races?

A Our test in Portugal was not great but I am hopeful that we will come back strong for the Phillip Island test and race. I think the Aprilia Superbike project is very important to the factory and they are putting all of their strength behind it. We want to win races, for sure, and maybe it's a dream but racing is a funny sport where a good rider and a strong factory can sometimes surprise people. I have faith in Aprilia that we can all obtain our goals.

Q For what it's worth, the bike is beautiful, and at the track anyway, Aprilia seem to be very serious.

A Yes. No doubt that this bike is the most beautiful bike all around the series. Other than that, everything's still to prove. Aprilia looks like they are putting the help on this new project, and their main goal is, of course, to sell bikes, and the best communication they can do is to make winning bike and good bike, fast bike, all these details would make us looking good, and have more chance for them to sell the bike on the shops.

It's good for me to be back with Aprilia and be back where it really began with me in racing. Would it not be a good story if after all these years we were again successful together?

Q Max, let me ask you this: many of your fans expected you would be on the Ducati World Superbike team in '09, that you would replace Bayliss. Can you talk about what happened and why you are not on the Ducati World Superbike team?

A I have not so many words to say. Perhaps it was for me that was a big news when finally they came out after six, after seven months or maybe eight months, then we sign a pre- contract, they come out and say, "Oh, no, maybe we, oh, no, we cannot do it. Sorry, but, blah, blah, blah." I have no really correct answer. Looks like, it was like hot potatoes on different hands. Then to one, to the other, to the other. No one really told me the real true story. But in the meantime, I understood after a while, then they asked me to have a - first of all, they told me, "We need more time." So they asked me to do extension of the pre-contract. If it was like one month. And then they asked me even more time. And then I realized it was like, they're losing my time. They want me maybe to find no bikes, but it really was not so nice move from them. And really... [pause]

A Not even in the least. Because the way it was, it was really really very strange. I don't know. I don't know what to expect. But when Aprilia came out and BMW came out, I build up again my confidence.

And then I choose Aprilia. I have no doubts. And then with these guy, I can be happy to work around this factory and around these people. So for me to find the joy to put my helmet on and go on the track and give, express myself 100% is the best way to go on racing. Say that we negotiate for a little bit, and then Bam!, I decide to go with them. I follow my instinct, my heart, and this happened. Obviously, I am very happy to be with Aprilia.

A. No, no, no injuries (at the moment). I'm 100%. I'm ready. I not suffer any broken hand or bone or, no problem. Everything's perfect. I will say that. Excellent.

Q How is the mood on the Aprilia team now? Are they endeavoring to work hard? When the team debuted at Portugal last year I wasn't sure they were aware the enormous job they had in front of them.

A Yeah, of course. Like a work in progress. They know they're willing to really, really speed up our process of development of this bike, for sure. All the real love, to be as competitive as soon as they can. And they're really pushing, pushing right now. It's not going to happen magical. But for sure, if there is work to do, work to be late up all night, they're the first. My team is like a soldier. They really are devoted and that's why I chose them, because I'm the same, in a way.

Q So let me ask you this about MotoGP: Your name is obviously associated with it because of the success that you had there; and things are not so good in MotoGP right now. I wonder your thoughts on MotoGP in '09.

Biaggi--Agree or Disagree?

Q When Spies rode at Portimao, and in one day went as fast as Corser and Haga, it was a sad day for Corser and Haga.

A Yes. [Laughing]

Q Michael Schumacher. Okay. He's a Formula One champion, but enough already, okay? He's a good two seconds away from being for real. Agree?

A Oh, of Michael, I will say he have big heart to try on two wheels. Because for sure I can tell you, not many people as big as him would put even the helmet and jump on the bike. So he have big balls, I would say.

Q Do you think Troy Bayliss will make a return?

A No.

A No. That means that this game, it doesn't really suit them any more. Suit these big sponsor any more. Big sponsor choose something different, maybe for less money or more exposure. Because what they're asking is a lot of money. In Superbike, it just more right, the numbers are more correct. What you invest and what you get in return is, well proportioned. How do you say it?

A Yeah. It's making really financial sense. For example, is MotoGP where many factory run away, go out, in Superbike, manufacturer come in. That's simple explanation.

Q You were in Grand Prix and then MotoGP for really a storybook period. You rode so many bikes. When you think back of the best Grand Prix bike that suited you the most, that you thought was a great bike?

A From '94. And the two-stroke, Yamaha two- stroke 500 was one really suit me, and the Yamaha four-stroke.

Q You rode an amazing number of bikes in Grand Prix. Some might find it interesting that you find the Yamaha the best?

A Yamaha people are really good people, good mentality. And then they saw that I was giving all my 100% when I was back on track. That's why they decided also to give me one of the Yamaha 500, that finished second in the World Championship in 2001. They give me for a present, just because they saw I was so dedicated. Yeah. That's really, really great present.

Q Okay. There hasn't been a good 800 race since they went to 800s. Agree or not?

A Yes. I agree. It was kind of boring until last year. Maybe now more manufacturer are competitive. But until last year it was really boring compared to 1000.

A Yeah. Federico is riding Superstock 1000cc with Aprilia, with a team who have Aprilia bikes. It's going to be first year out of Italy, and hopefully can do good. He's a young rider, 20 years old, and I think a lot of, how do you say that? A lot of enthusiasm. So let's see how he feels.

He started three years ago. He won Italian championship for production 125. And then he did 125 GP, Italian series, with a bike called Friba. It's a handmade bike. No Honda or Aprilia, blah, blah, blah, but he finished third in the championship with that bike. And last year, for the first year he did 600cc with Yamaha in the Italian championship, and he finished second. So first time on four- stroke, not so bad.

Q. Final question Max. Your girlfriend, Eleonora Pedron, is a former Miss Italy and starlet. Her picture is the on computers desktops of men all over the world. There are fan sites devoted to her. How do you deal with that, or don't you even think about it?

A. Certainly she is beautiful and that's why I chose her. But, in answer to your question, Dean, I will say this: sometimes, at night, I wake up and I look over at her and then I think, 'Life is really good' you know? (Laughs)