Italy’s national airline, Alitalia (CAI) as we all know by now, will be the title sponsor Aprilia’s World Superbike effort for the next two years.

Alitalia, who is still in the red (on Tuesday there was a 4 hour strike) will be spending three million euros to see the RSV4 machines ridden by Max Biaggi and Leon Camier with Alitalia tricolor livery, even if according to Italian financial daily Il Sole 24 Ore, there was a foreign company who offered more than Alitalia to sponsor the team, but it was judged that bringing the two Italian brands together would be more profitable.

The all Italian alliance saw Roberto Colaninno through his IMMSI (50,009% owned) and share holder and chairman of Alitalia (7,08%) and who controls the the Piaggio Group (53,6%) abstain from voting on the sponsorship deal to avoid any conflict of interest …

Continue reading: Alitalia-Aprilia Racing Sponsorship

After the official launch of the Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team at Fiumicino airport in Rome last Tuesday, we’ve now got a rather long video, with a mix of past and present of Aprilia and Alitalia and with Max Biaggi and Leon Camier behind the commands of one Alitalia’s planes.

Continue reading: Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team Launch Video

Our Italian cousins over at Motoblog were at the Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team presentation that was held today at the airport of Fiumicino in Roma for the official unveiling of Aprilia’s RSV4 new Tricolour livery for the 2010 World Superbike Championship.

This livery, brings together two prestigious Italian brands with Italian energy giant ENI also sponsoring the superbike team that will see Max Biaggi in his second year with the team joined by British Superbike champion Leon Camier.

Continue reading: WSBK: Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team Unveiled

Aprilia has officially confirmed what Aprilia’s General Director Leo Mercanti already anticipated the other day, that Leon Camier has signed with the factory Aprilia team ito ride in World Superbikes next season.

The 23 year old British racing rider, made his Aprilia RSV4 debut at Magny Cours round after winning the BSB Championship title with Airwaves Yamaha with a record 18 wins out of 26 races and then raced the RSV4 again at the final round at Portimao, where he finished sixth and seventh.

Camier also took part in the post-race test at Portimao in Portugal and in the private Aprilia test held at Misano.

Continue reading: Leon Camier in Aprilia - Now it's Official

There’s no official press release yet, but who needs it if Aprilia’s General Director Leo Mercanti personally says that Leon Camier is going to ride a factory Aprilia in world superbikes next season it’s got to be true, right?

“In my opinion he’s a good choice” said Mercanti who was at the Bangkok airport “he performed well in the races he did with us”.

The deal was already in the air and was to be confirmed after the RSV4 testing at the Misano race track last week that was cut short due to bad weather.

Reigning Britsh Superbike champ Leon Camier substituted injured Shinya Nakano in the final two rounds of the season and finshed 6th and 7th at Portimao, while his debut on the factory Aprilia at Magny Cours saw him retire from both races with mechanical problems. Camier will partner Max Biaggi in the team.

Source | gpone

Continue reading: Leon Camier in Aprilia, it's Official , sort of

Aprilia’s first day (yesterday) of private testing was cut short due to fog at the Misano World circuit.

Max Biaggi didn’t even try to do a couple of laps, while Leon Camier, who stepped in for in the now retired Shinya Nakano, and yet to be confirmed by the factory Aprilia team, did 28 laps, some on rain tires with a best time of 1.40″20.

According to rumors, Camier should be announcing his signing with the Aprilia factory team after this two day test.

Alex Hofmann, Aprilia’s test rider also did a few laps in the morning, on rain tires with a 1’45.20 has his best time. According to Hofmann’s Twitter page, Alex 66, they even tried to dry the track by driving over it with rental cars.

Continue reading: WSBK - Aprilia Testing at Misano

Is Guandalini Racing going to switch to Aprilia’s RSV4 Factory next season? According to Italian website Sbk Point the only thing missing is the official press release.

Aprilia’s Giampiero Sacchi has said he was interested leasing their four cylinder RSV’s machines to a second team, but in recent months the idea seemed to pale, but in light of performances of the Aprilia, especially in the second part of the year with Max Biaggi taking fourth in the standings and Marco Simoncelli and Leon Camier’s performances, the Noale based manufacturer may have had a change of heart.

Czech rider Jakub Smrz has already been confirmed with Guandalini for 2010. While BSB 2009 Champion Leon Camier, who rode the final two rounds substituting Shinya Nakano, is still waiting to hear if he’ll be Max Biaggi team mate on the factory Aprilia WSB next year.

Source | sbkpoint

Continue reading: WSBK - Guandalini Racing to drop Ducati for Aprilia?

According to Italian website Bikeracing Shinya Nakano will announce his retirement from racing in a press conference Wednesday.

Nakano, who turned 32 this month, has decided to retire after thirteen years of racing, which is probably due to continuing health problems. Nakano who switched to the World Superbike series this year to ride with Aprilia Racing, first broke his collarbone at Valenica and then began to suffer from neck pain that kept him out of the final rounds of the season.

The Japanese rider’s best result this year with the Aprilia RSV4 Factory was a fourth in Race 1 at Losail.

Nakano will be following his new store and fashion brand “56 Design.”

Aprilia has yet to announce who their new rider will be, but since Leon Camier is testing at Portimao, we can assume that that Giampiero Sacchi is seriously considering Camier to partner Max Biaggi in 2010.

Continue reading: Shinya Nakano to Announce Retirement

According to crash.net Aprilia Racing has decided to field three RSV-4’s for the final round of the WSBK Championship at Portimao this weekend.

Regular rider Shinya Nakano will be returning for the last round of season after missing Imola and Magny-Cours due to neck problems that kept him out of the second race at the Nuruburgring round.

The third bike will go BSB champion Leon Camier who already took measure the Aprilia superbike at Magny-Cours but failed to finish both races due to engine problems.

Aprilia has yet to announce their rider line-up for the 2010 season, nor if they will be fielding a second team in the series. Max Biaggi has a two year contract with the team and his option was renewed, while Nakano’s 14th place in the standings, despite his injuries, does not bode well in keeping the same ride next year especially after Marco Simoncelli’s wildcard appearance at Imola.

Names linked for Nakano’s ride have been MotoGP rider Alex DeAngelis and Leon Camier.

Continue reading: WSBK - Aprilia to field 3rd Bike at Portimao

Leon Camier who was crowned the 2009 British Superbike Champion at Silverstone on Sunday will be replacing injured Shinya Nakano on the Aprilia RSV4 Factory.

According to Italy’s Motosprint, the Brit already has a contract from Aprilia to ride the last two rounds of the World Superbike Championship at Magny-Cours and Portimao alongside Max Biaggi.

The 22-year-old from Ashford, Kent in his third season of the BSB championship and with three rounds of the championship remaining he has already taken 17 race victories out of the 23 races to take place so far, with his Airwaves Yamaha beating the record of wins in a single season, which was 14.

Aprilia fielded Marco Simoncelli as Nakano’s replacement at the Imola last Sunday. The Italian rider DNF’d in Race 1, but in Race 2 took 3rd. Simoncelli will be back to his 250cc championship at Estoril this weekend.

Continue reading: Leon Camier on the Aprilia Superbike

British Superbike fans are welcome at The Carole Nash International Motorcycle and Scooter Show this week at the Birmingham NEC. You can meet GSE Racing British Superbike riders, Leon Camier and James Ellison at the Yamaha stand. They will be signing autographs from the 28th to the 30th November.

James Ellison’s appearance will be his first as a member of the successful GSE Racing. He said: “This year the British Superbike fans were fantastic in welcoming me back on to home soil so it’s always good to meet them and say thank you. It will also be great to meet GSE Racing fans for the first time. I’ll be pushing 100% to give them a lot to celebrate about in 2009!”

Source | airwaves

Continue reading: GSE riders at the Birmingham NEC show

GSE Racing has officially announced just days after concluding their championship winning 2008 season and ahead of their high-profile switch to Yamaha in 2009, that their BSB title-winning team will be running James Ellison and Leon Camier in their partnership with Yamaha Motor UK.

Three times title winner, Camier joined the team in 2008 and is looking forward to challenging the championship.
Former MotoGP rider and winner of the British Superbike Cup on a Yamaha in 2004, James Ellison joins GSE Racing from Hydrex Bike Animal Honda with whom he finished 7th in this year’s British Superbike Championship.

“To be riding for the most successful team in the paddock represents a fantastic opportunity for me; I’m ecstatic. I came close to signing with the team in 2005 and kept in contact with Colin Wright ever since just in case another chance came up and now finally, here I am! I’m really looking forward to riding a Yamaha once again and hopefully repeating the success I had with them back in 2004.” GSE Racing will looking for a record fifth British Superbike title in 2009 with Yamaha YZF-R1.

Source | Airwaves-ducati.co.uk

Continue reading: Ellison to Join Camier at GSE