WSBK – Interview with Olivier Aerts, Suzuki Alstare racing operations manager –

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Interview with Olivier Aerts, Suzuki Alstare Race Operations Manager

WSBK - Interview with Olivier Aerts, Suzuki Alstare racing operations manager -

When Alstare opens the doors of its HQ, located in Belgium, enthusiasts flock … And when Olivier Aerts, responsible for the team’s promotion, gives us his impressions of Suzuki’s armed wing in the World Superbike, Site is there !

When a stable of Alstare’s fame opens the doors of its headquarters, located in Belgium, fans and enthusiasts flock … When, moreover, it is Olivier Aerts, Francis Batta’s assistant for the ‘organization and promotion of Team Alstare, which gives us the guided tour and update on the situation of Suzuki’s armed wing in WSBK, Site is listening !

The interview starts in the workshops of the team, installed here in 1992 after Francis Batta and his wife joined forces with Suzuki to shine first in the Mondial Supersport (Pirovano, Chambon), then in the Mondial Superbike (Corser, Kagayama)…

"This is where the bikes of our two riders, Max Biaggi and Yukio Kagayama are prepared. After each race, the mechanics dismantle the machines in order to change the wearing parts (some parts have a lifespan of only 1000 km!) And prepare the motorcycles for the next race.", explains Olivier.

On the left of this old factory we can see some special projects intended for promotion: the exact replica of Max Biaggi’s motorcycle which will be used during the next "Festival of Speed" at Good Wood (Great Britain) or the GSX-R " Gold "performed in honor of the title of Troy Corser in 2005.

"Troy is like a son to Mr. Batta", continues Olivier:"he often comes to eat with his wife in our hospitality". Corser at the table with Biaggi, who took his place on the team?"Max and Troy respect each other but it’s true that they hardly say hello to each other", admits the assistant team manager."But when you join the "Alstare family", you are always welcome there: it surprised Max, used to the coldness of Grand Prix where you don’t mix, but he has adapted well to it.", specifies the one who manages not only the marketing aspect of the team, but also that of Corona on the races (official sponsor of Suzuki-Alstare and the Superbike championship).

Alstare’s strength lies in its involvement at all levels: preparation of motorcycles in direct collaboration with Suzuki Japan but also advertising, marketing (the team has its own graphic workshop), TV images…

"This allows us to maintain healthy and lasting relationships with our partners", summarizes Olivier. Partners delighted with the fallout due to the Biaggi effect! And the team, is it satisfied with its emblematic pilot?"Yes and not only in terms of sports results", says Olivier.

"The media impact is impressive", continues our guide:"it is very important for us in order to renew our contracts with our sponsors at the end of the season. A team, even an official one, does not win anything with a championship and only the support of our sponsors and allies allows us to finance the season.".

The visit continues and we now arrive in the "Holy of Holies": the engine development part with its ultra-sophisticated power bench capable of reproducing all racing conditions: altitude, humidity, slope, engine braking, etc..

"All the research and development work is done here by Asltare", explains Olivier:"Suzuki Japan has only 35 people in its racing department (which includes MotoGP, WSBK and MX1), where Honda, Yamaha and even Ducati have 100, see 110 !", he assures."That’s why we have carte blanche for the Superbike part".

A privileged relationship with the manufacturer which also explains the competitiveness of the team and which sometimes leads to surprising discussions: Didn’t Max Biaggi use an engine from the Japanese championship during winter testing? "Yes, but the two pilots used this more "light" version during the tests in Australia and Qatar !", confirms our guide:"it is even Yukio who developed this version the most! The problem was, the new model had a big problem with engine flexibility and it was too aggressive under acceleration. But we quickly returned to the more powerful model, because the competition was literally dropping us !"

The visit continues in front of the machine tools used to modify parts: "recently we have done a lot of work on valve diameters to improve ease of use. We also reviewed the foundry of the engine casings which were lowered in order to lower the center of gravity and thus improve the general handling of the machine.", tells us Olivier Aerts.

On the strength of this experience, the Alstare team has also built its own Superbike machine (without the support of the factory) which ran last season with Fabien Foret and which was sold this year to the Suzuki Germany team: the young Max Neukirchner also ranks ahead of Yukio overall and we could see him follow Biaggi in some events. A situation taken with philosophy by the official team: "Max Biaggi is very strong, but it is difficult to get into the rhythm from the start of the race. That’s why we were able to see the two riders together, but then Biaggi comes back and finishes on the podium, or almost! For Yukio, the problem is different: he is having a very difficult season between falls and injuries, but otherwise he would undoubtedly be ahead of the German in the overall standings. However, this proves that the 100% Alstare bike is very good and that with a minimal budget, we can aim for a top 10. !".

However, the performance of the pilots is not exactly as expected: the Emperor has indeed been hired to win the title in his first year and Kagayama is struggling to keep pace with the leaders … "It is clear that victories and podiums would do the team good, recognizes Olivier, "but we still aim for the title and Max can do it !", he specifies, glancing at the giant screen in the exhibition hall which broadcasts the first round of Misano live: Bayliss has just taken the lead, Biaggi rings the charge and Yukio is fighting with Toseland (read).

"Yukio does his job today, Alstare believes: "for him, the title is lost so he must insert himself as often as possible between Max and James and achieve beautiful shots". Will the Japanese save his head in this" Alstare "clan – of which Francis Batta would be the"Godfather", according to Olivier’s expression ?

"In truth, Kagayama is a factory imposed pilot for legitimate pride reasons and we have no complaints. Even if it is clear that the Japanese pilots hardly shine in the World"…

What about the performance of Noriyuki Haga? "Haga is a solid second in the championship: he is fast, his bike is on point and he does not fall. But the season is still long"…

While waiting for the outcome of this race (at home for the famous n ° 3), the manager specifies the work axes of the GSX-R K7: "the bike is very good and has enough power. The problem, at this level, is to pass it to the ground … But we are having trouble finding the grip, especially as we are starting our collaboration with Magneti-Marelli for electronic management. Yamaha, for example, put three quarters of last season into fine-tuning it !"

However, Max Biaggi does not seem bothered by the grip: he often sets his best laps at the end of the race with worn tires … "Max Biaggi is involved, not the motorcycle !", considers our guide:"Max had a hard time feeling his machine in the first few laps, with uneven tires and a full tank. Once reassured, he can start his ascent but the leaders are already far away !"he comes to life.

Hence a real frustration for the members of the team, which Francis Batta does not hesitate to express aloud on occasion … Will Max’s contract be renewed next year? Suspense … Because Olivier Aerts’ response is cut short by the exclamations of the public, who came en masse to visit the premises and attend the race: Biaggi missed out on passing Haga and the two men are carpet…

Did the Roman Emperor dig his own grave? Not so sure, because apart from the important media coverage generated by the presence of the Roman and his record, Max Biaggi is now also part of the Alstare "family"…

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