Laconi signing to signal end for Waldi?

Frenchman Regis Laconi will partner Australian Troy Corser in the factory Aprilia Axo World Superbike Team next year aboard a pair of the ever improving RSV1000 Four-stroke according to leading British Bike weekly Motorcycle News.

The young rider was left on the sidelines by the Red Bull Yamaha squad following the arrival of Noriyuki Haga to the fold to partner the equally spectacular Garry McCoy in what has become one of the most prized Yamaha seats in the world of 500cc Grand Prix Racing. Laconi was overlooked by many observers such was the hair-raising style of McCoy and it was a forgotten fact that he completed more race miles than almost any other rider in the three class Grand Prix Championship.

It appears as though Ralf Waldmann's decision to miss a specially arranged test in favour of a run in a Mercedes DTM machine may have cost him his last chance to get a competitive two-wheeled ride in either Grand Prix or World Superbikes. The German veteran had stated that he did not want to remain in the 250cc class but with Aprilia temporarily withdrawing from 500cc Grand Prix racing, a berth alongside Corser appeared to be his only option. With that option now seemingly gone, Waldmann may decide that the time is right to hang up his leathers and don a race-suit as a career in tin-tops beckons.

Even so, the 2001 season could be a relatively quiet one for the 34 year old rider as virtually all of Mercedes' DTM drives are taken. A year getting used to tin tops is a possibility although 'Waldi' may still re-appear on a motorbike grid next year as almost any team would benefit greatly from the canny German's speed and experience.

For Laconi however, next year will be far from quiet as he makes the transition from his two-stroke Yamaha to the more brutish Aprilia and as his recent test in Jerez showed, when he found himself braking too early for corners, he will have to work hard to adapt his style to the world of Superbikes. The Aprilia RSV1000 is amongst the most nimble of all the factory WSBK machinery which is a blessing for the consistent Frenchman who scored a point in almost every round of this year's 500cc MotoGP Championship finishing eleventh overall for the Red Bull outfit.

Laconi's arrival signals a return to testing duties for Aprilia's Alessandro Antonello, who partnered Corser in 2000, occasionally pushing the Australian for pace although the team are still entertaining the possibility of running a third factory machine at selected rounds next year where the Italian could provide back-up for Corser and Laconi.