Thanks to the contribution of its two riders, the Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils squad scored the second-highest amount of points in Round 1. This included an impressive fourth place in Race 1 for Jordi Torres and a spectacular Race 2 victory for Leon Haslam, whose precise judgement resulted in his first race win since 2010.

With 12 rounds remaining, Haslam’s objectives are clearly defined.

“My goal for this season is to win, as it always is," states the English rider, “and this year I'm pretty certain that I have the best possible technical package available to try and do just that. I fell in love with the Aprilia RSV4 from the very first laps.

“Performance is smooth and the electronics are my best weapon, plus I can count on a professional team that is accustomed to winning. Plus, I'm coming off my first winter break without any physical problems. I'm still not at 100% fitness but I'm improving day-by-day and I'm working with a highly skilled technical team.”

Torres has a different challenge to deal with, currently in his maiden WorldSBK season after making the switch from Moto2 where he was a Grand Prix winner.

“Being on a team that has won so often in Superbike is a guarantee,” the Spaniard says, with Aprilia having now won 50 WorldSBK races. “I'll need to work hard to take the best possible advantage of this opportunity.

“This year everything is new for me: bike, team, category and even many of the circuits. I'm still working on adapting to all these changes, but I'm confident. My first sensations were very positive. My feeling is improving lap-by-lap and I can't wait to get down to business so I can show just what I am capable of.”

The next challenge will be the all-new Chang International Circuit in Buriram on 22 March, as Thailand hosts an international motorsport event for the first time.