Misano, Italy - Following Troy Bayliss’s surprise return for the opening rounds, another former champion is making a brief return to this year’s World Superbike grid.
Double former world champion Max Biaggi, who won the 2010 and 2012 titles before quitting the sport, will race an Aprilia at this weekend’s round in Misano, Italy, and also at the Sepang round in Malaysia on 2 August.
Biaggi, nicknamed the “Roman Emperor”, has been assisting Aprilia in its World Superbike and MotoGP development and will be racing alongside Leon Haslam and Jordi Torres. Prior to moving to World Superbikes in 2007, Biaggi won four consecutive titles in 250cc Grand Prix racing between 1994 and 1997.
He was also runner-up in the 500cc class in 1998 and 2001, as well as in MotoGP in 2002.
REA HAS 124 POINT LEAD
He is the second ex-world champion to embark on a brief return to World Superbike this year after Bayliss stood in for an injured rider at Ducati in Australia and Thailand.
Kawasaki rider Jonathan Rea leads the World Superbike standings by a colossal margin, with 330 points to the 206 of his closest rival, team-mate Tom Sykes. Aprilia is the only team to have provided any challenge to the Kawasakis so far this season, with Haslam and Torres third and fifth respectively in the standings.
Star Motoring