Biaggi: Third time lucky?

Max Biaggi begins his third 500cc campaign with the Marlboro Yamaha Team this weekend and is hoping his 2001 season will get off to a better start than the past two.

Biaggi had some dreadful luck during the early stages of 1999 and 2000, suffering technical problems, tumbles and injuries that prevented the four-time 250 World Champion from mounting successful attacks on the 500 World Championship.

This year everything is different. Biaggi arrives at Suzuka fully fit and raring to go, with his factory YZR500s working superbly throughout winter testing. Over the past two years Biaggi and his technical crew have fine-tuned his YZR's to suit his riding style.

No race machine is ever perfect, but many feel that the 2001 YZR is a motorcycle ready to win the title. Last year's YZR won the manufacturers' World Championship, stealing the crown from Honda's grasp, and this time the factory is adamant about its aims for the 2001 season: riders and manufacturers' crowns, and nothing less!

Biaggi is not the kind of rider to talk big before a season but he seems quietly confident about the task ahead, with good reason too, for he has been consistently the quickest rider during off-season tests. He set the fastest lap of the winter at Sepang, the second fastest laps at Jerez, Estoril and Catalunya, and the third fastest time at Suzuka two weeks ago, never more than a couple of tenths off the quickest man at each circuit.

"The main thing is that we feel ready to go racing," explained Biaggi. "Testing has been good this winter but the racing is something altogether different, it's the real thing, it's the big fight and it's the reason we do this job. Testing is very important, of course, and we've worked very hard at improving the bike. My main feeling for Suzuka is to make sure I don't make any mistakes. We've prepared for the year in the best possible way, now we
just have to race and keep our fingers crossed."

Biaggi is already in much better shape than he was this time last year, when he was carrying a nasty groin injury, sustained during pre-season tests. He is also happy with Yamaha's off-season input that has focused on improved engine, chassis and aerodynamic performance.

"I also feel that Yamaha is putting in an even bigger effort than normal. This is the last year of two-stroke-only GPs, so they want to make sure they win both the constructors and riders' titles. We'll be doing everything we can to make sure they achieve that target."

The Marlboro Yamaha Team's new team director Hiroya Atsumi is also looking forward to the new season. "The new bike isn't a huge change from 2000 but it is more consistent from one track to another," he says. "All our Yamaha riders have been fast during tests and that proves the bike is very useable.

"We've improved midrange and low rpm power so the engine now accelerates more smoothly and the chassis base setting is also very good. During testing our riders have worked at doing full-tank tests and race-distance tests, so they are very well prepared."