Round 8 of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship sees the paddock return to Italy, to Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli on the Adriatic Coast. The Riviera di Rimini holds good memories for Aprilia rider Lorenzo Savadori, and ahead of the Round the WorldSBK rookie talked to WorldSBK.com about the start to his career in the top category, the Misano circuit, and his past and future at the Adriatic track.

“The next Round is at Misano; a circuit I know well and where last year I won the STK1000 Race,” remembers Savadori. “Misano has both slow parts and fast corners, so we can say it’s a complete circuit. Last year was a difficult year but I did manage to get pole position and the win. It was one of the most difficult races of the season because there were four riders fighting for the win, but I finally managed to get ahead and win. That victory meant a lot because it meant we had a thirty point advantage with just two races to go. That’s why the victory meant so much for all the team.”

The Italian went on to win the STK1000 Cup in 2015 and although Savadori has found life more challenging in the top category, the Aprilia rider has impressed with a number of top 4 finishes, and a front row start in Donington Park added even more luster to his growing resume. “Now I’m competing in World Superbike, which is a very difficult category, but the goal remains the same: to do our best. The home crowd will be a huge motivation.”

Misano is Round 8 of the season, with the halfway point having passed after Race 1 at Donington in the UK, and Savadori is eager to keep pushing forward and building on the ever-improving pace shown by both man and machine.

“We are now past the halfway point of the season and we are still learning, trying to adapt to the new bike,” affirms Savadori. “This new category isn’t easy for me. In the meantime, we must improve our performances in the second half of the races. At the moment we are fast in Superpole but we need to improve the races. We have to learn how to be more consistent and we’re working on that.”

After front rows, being fastest of Friday and big hauls of points, the learning curve for the young Italian will surely not flatten off, with the next race weekend at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli giving Savadori another chance at home glory. Race 1 and Race 2 begin at 13:00 local time (GMT +2) on Saturday and Sunday respectively, as WorldSBK touches down on the Adriatic.