VOL. 52 ISSUE 3 JANUARY 20, 2015 P81
looking at making a
Turismo Velocissimo.
Essentially, we will be
seeking to do with our
four-cylinder platform
what we have already
done successfully
with our three-cylinder
bikes, to cover a wide
spread of different
sectors.
What's the time
frame on this? When
will the first new-gen-
eration four-cylinder
model appear?
There's still a little
way to go, but I think
the EICMA Milan Show
two years from now will
be the launch pad for
the new breed of MV
fours.
MV Agusta raced
last season in the
World Superbike
series with just a single rider
on the current F4RR. Was this
presumably as a development
platform for the new model,
and what are your plans for
2015?
Yes, we're learning valuable
lessons from our participation
in World Superbike. You must
remember this past season saw
us running in the Superbike
category with a bike that es-
sentially conformed to the less
powerful Superstock-based
EVO regulations. We did this
so we could keep experiment-
ing with engine solutions, not
remain stuck to a single Super-
stock engine specification.
We will continue this program
next year with Leon Camier,
who rode very well and finished
in the top 10 on the first and
only occasion he raced for us
as a stand-in rider at Laguna
Seca. But for 2016 we may
expand this to a second rider,
because Jules Cluzel showed
he knows how to ride a Super-
bike in his time with Suzuki.
And after he has hopefully won
us the World Supersport Cham-
pionship next year with the F3,
maybe he'd like to move
back to Superbike racing
with MV. We'll see what
happens, but that's the
plan, anyway.
Will MV Agusta only
take part in World
Championship racing
in 2015, or will you also
compete in National
series like BSB, AMA
or IDM in Germany,
perhaps in supporting
satellite teams with an
F3RR replica of Clu-
zel's bike?
No, we will concen-
trate exclusively on World
Championship racing.
We're a small company
and we must recognize
that we don't yet have the
resources to support a
number of outside teams,
like some others do. An
F3RR is not in our plans
at the moment, because we
have no time to invest in produc-
ing that. We have to focus 100
percent on our own racing op-
eration, to which we've already
devoted what is a huge budget
for us. Although I recognize that
when we do hopefully become
successful at the World level,
and have more time to think
about this kind of thing, then it
could be big business for us.
But not for the time being.
Final question—are you
enjoying yourself?
Yes, for sure. Very much. Not
as much as I enjoy sitting on the
beach, but it's good enough! CN
Giovanni feels MV and Mercedes-
AMG are on the same wavelength,
making them a natural partnership.
