Newsgroup: it.sport
Titolo: Dorna NEWS - Aprilia

20 Apr 1996 - 13:15 CET
Japanese GP - Second Qualifying Session 250cc
Massimiliano Biaggi (Chesterfield Aprilia Team): second, 2m 10.685s
Double World Champion Massimiliano Biaggi finished final qualifying just nine thousandths of a second behind 
arch-rival Tetsuya Harada (Marlboro Yamaha Team Rainey)."Someone got in my way on the last lap and I had to 
take a very wide line through one corner, that alone must have lost me three tenths of a second," said Biaggi. 
"I didn't do so many laps this afternoon because we spent a lot of time in the pits trying to solve a front 
end patter problem. I expect that to be worse in the race because you can't always take your ideal line when 
you're fighting with another rider, and I expect a big battle with Harada. His bike seems perfect and he's 
going to be a hard man to beat."Carlo Pernat (Aprilia's race chief) has offered me a $15,000 bonus is I win 
here, but I want it to be $50,000 because I plan to give the money to my favourite charity."
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19 Apr 1996 - 12:15 CET
Japanese GP - First Qualifying Session 250cc
Massimiliano Biaggi (Chesterfield Aprilia Team): 17th, 2m 40.936s
Double World Champion Massimiliano Biaggi was one of the many fallers in this afternoon's soaking 250cc 
session. He went down as he was braking for the ultra-slow Suzuka chicane."I was testing a new rear tyre, but 
it was the front that went when I crashed," said Biaggi, who was unhurt. "I wasn't doing anything different 
that lap, so it was a real surprise when the front locked. It went so fast that I couldn't save it. We need to 
improve the front suspension set-up, because I'm not getting a good feeling in the wet. We're also at a 
disadvantage in the rain because the Aprilia's power delivery is more vicious than the other bikes. So I hope 
it's dry for the rest of the weekend, for our own good, and because it's much safer that way."
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19 Apr 1996 - 13:00 CET
Japanese GP - First Qualifying Session 125 & 250cc
Stefano Perugini - Nastro Azzurro Aprilia Team 125cc 4th 12m 39.055
"I crashed," said Perugini frankly. "But in these wet conditions it can happen to anyone and there were a lot 
of other guys who fell off. Apart from that I think we were going pretty well in the wet. I would have liked 
to have gone quicker but towards the end of the session the rain got heavier and it wasn't possible."
"This morning in the dry the bike wasn't bad but we realised that we needed to change the gearbox ratios. That 
is one of the main things that we wanted to check this afternoon but of course we didn't get the chance. We 
think that the ratios would be OK on a damp track but if it gets really wet they wouldn't be the best."
"One thing here is that when it rains at Suzuka you know the Japanese riders are going to be fast because they 
do so much riding here in the wet."
Roberto Locatelli - Nastro Azzurro Aprilia Team 250cc 18th - 2m 42.202
"I hope it is a dry race because I am way back in the wet. I just don't like racing in the rain and I guess 
that's mainly because I don't have the experience." "In the few years I've been racing I have only ridden in 
the rain twice, once here last year and today. I just hope it dries out tomorrow."
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19 Apr 1996 - 12:45 CET
Japanese GP - First Qualifying Session 500cc
Doriano Romboni - IP Aprilia Team - 500cc 3rd 2m 34.974
"That was great," said Romboni who was on pole until the last seconds of the soaking wet afternoon session and 
has the 500cc Aprilia on the front row for the first time. "Yes but this is only Friday, let's wait and see 
what happens tomorrow." "The bike was good this morning in the dry as well though. I think the bike suits 
Suzuka because it felt good from the early laps of practice and we didn't change much at all through the 
session." "This afternoon in the wet I started carefully and just built up speed. The bike felt good and I was 
getting plenty of grip. I just went quicker and quicker until I felt I was pushing the limit with the front," 
said Romboni who was using a new compound rear Dunlop. The compound had only been tested previously on cars." 
I felt good out there in the wet but I hope it's a dry race. I think the bike will be competitive in a dry 
race here. In the wet it is just too much of a game of chance and you know that there are only four jokers in 
the pack!"
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20 Apr 1996 - 12:45 CET
Japanese GP - Second Qualifying Session 500cc
Doriano Romboni - IP Aprilia Team - 500cc 2nd 2m 08.922
"That was great and a lot of fun as well. At the end of the session Mick (Doohan) was having a joke, making 
fun of the speed of my bike. It certainly didn't worry me, I had no trouble catching the Honda through the 
corners. I don't know if he's happy, I certainly am, he's behind me on the grid," said Romboni after putting 
the Aprilia on the front row for the first time, just one tenth off the pole. "I was confident that we would 
get a good grid position because the bike worked so well yesterday afternoon. It was wet then but I was pretty 
sure that it wasn't just the conditions that favoured the bike, it just seemed to be working really well."
"Today we got the front forks set up just right and the new rear Dunlop that we are using for the first time 
here is a big improvement and I think we've got a good race tyre. Of course the performance dropped off a bit 
after some laps but I know everyone else is going to be in the same situation." "I need a good start, if I can 
get away well I can run with anyone I think and there should be no reason why we can't get a good result 
here."
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