Milwaukee Aprilia Team | Day 1 Test report
New teammates Laverty and Savadori test the 2017 Milwaukee Aprilia RSV4 at Jerez
Announced in the summer of 2016, the Aprilia factory-supported team marks the partnering of Aprilia Racing and the UK-based Shaun Muir Racing and fields riders Eugene Laverty and Lorenzo Savadori.
The team have set their targets high for the 2017 season, in which they will continue their relationship with title sponsor Milwaukee Power Tools and have just completed their first day of testing at the Jerez circuit.
Running was hampered by rain for most of the day, but the team was able to complete a high number of laps with Eugene and Lorenzo on the RSV4.
With focus on system checks and consistent running instead of outright lap time, the team have made their first steps to preparing their 2017 challenger for racing.
Testing continues tomorrow, where the team will be hoping for some dry running to build on Monday’s work.
The test runs from Monday 21st to Wednesday 23rd November, and will give the team a chance to learn as much as they can about the RSV4 before the winter break.
Milwaukee Aprilia will also launch their social media profiles and website over the test, and will provide regular updates on the team and their progress at the test.
Eugene Laverty
“One racing season only finished a week ago, but I am itching to get going with 2017 in WorldSBK and the RSV4 is the bike I remember most of my success on. It felt really nice to be back on the RSV4. I was surprised how quickly it felt like being at home with it, and even though it was constant wet running it felt like my bike again. We didn’t aim for outright pace today, but my times weren’t that far off here at Jerez which was pleasing.
“It’s been great working with the new team, and I’m blown away by how professional the team are. We have some key Aprilia staff here who know the bike as well as I do, and we clicked right away. I’ve also got to know my new team mate Lorenzo a little bit which is good, and we’ve talked about our experiences with the RSV4 and how to work with it. We’ve been going pretty quick today even though it was wet, but we’re definitely hoping for some dry track time tomorrow which is the most important thing.”
Lorenzo Savadori
“I am really happy to continue with Aprilia Racing in 2017, and it means a lot to me after my first year in WorldSBK with them. It has been great for me to get on the bike again so soon, even though today has been difficult because of the rain, but the feeling of the bike has been good even in the wet.
“I have enjoyed working with the team today, and I feel very lucky to be in this team. They work really hard, and it has been good for me to learn how they work and what we can do. I am also very happy to have Eugene as my team mate. He has a lot of experience and is a really fast rider, and he knows the bike and team very well. I think we will work well together and hope we can compare some useful information. Tomorrow I hope that we will have some dry weather and we can try some more set-up work, because it is really important for us to have a strong bike for 2017.“
Shaun Muir – Team Principal
“It’s a new and exciting chapter for SMR to work with Aprilia Racing, and there is a lot of optimism about what we can achieve. We are not underestimating the size of the challenge ahead of us, but without a doubt we are looking forward to the challenge. It’s been a really good day for us, considering it has been consistently wet. It has been good to get the team working together straight away, and we have a long night ahead of us to prepare for changes tomorrow. The factory have brought some really interesting upgrades on the chassis and engine specs for us to try, and it’s really important for us to get to grips with them to help the direction of the 2017 bike.
“Eugene had his first experience of the wet Pirelli tyres, and he’s had a good feeling from them straight away which we are pleased with. We’re not chasing lap times but he was setting some good times and did as much as he needed to to focus on set-up. It’s also been good for Lorenzo to get on the bike after not testing at all in 2016. He’s tried a few set-ups and we’ve managed to find him a good balance which he is happy with, and he managed to get around 35 laps in which is great experience for him.”
