With considerable
MotoGP experience under his belt, Alex Hofmann was always going to be a shrewd choice for Aprilia to develop their new World Superbike contender, the RSV-4.
Indeed, as he targets a full-time ride with the legendary Italian marque in 2009, he reveals that we can expect a surprise from them when they arrive. In short, Aprilia are not entering World Superbikes to make up the numbers...
Crash.net
It has been a little quiet on the Aprilia front recently – is the plan still to debut in the World Superbike Championship in 2009?
AH:
As far as I know - definitely! It's been quiet around Aprilia as they first have in mind to win important Championships in 125 cc and 250 cc GP this season. The Aprilia RSV-4 is their future and I am sure we will get some official news pretty soon.
Crash.net
How has testing gone so far and how far developed is the new bike?
AH:
Testing has gone really well. I have rode the first prototype at the end of last year. The engine came straight out of the factory and had never seen a race track. Since then, the progress was really impressive and I see all the potential for a real strong and competitive bike. The project is still young and there is much more to come.
Crash.net
Given your time on the bike, how likely is it that you will secure a full-time ride with Aprilia in 2009?
AH:
No decisions have been made yet about the riders, but I would love too. After seeing the bike grow and getting faster every time, it would be cool to race it. I really enjoyed this experience and I hope I can stay with Aprilia. After my MotoGP experiences, I really felt at home this year and had a lot of fun working the Aprilia Test Team.
Crash.net
How many bikes will Aprilia enter? Who would you like to see on the bike, other than you?
AH:
There is no such wish list I guess.
Troy Bayliss would be my choice. Great guy - fair racer and always the benchmark on a Superbike. Are you sure you want to quit Troy!?!?
Crash.net
What do you think Aprilia can hope to achieve from the season?
