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SBK, Camier: “we'll be stronger with the new rules”

The British MV Agusta rider is pumped up: “we'll further improve the F4 and make the new starting grid work in our favour”.

Camier: “we'll be stronger with the new rules”

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Leon Camier's season on the MV Agusta has been full of battles and positive results and, on numerous occasions, the talented English rider has been able to bother his rivals on the 'more than factory' bikes, even beating them at times.

Leon was 2009 British Superbike champion with Yamaha, winning many races. For two years, he flanked Max Biaggi for two years in Aprilia, races with Suzuki for two years and has collected 9 SBK podiums. With the MV Reparto Corse team, he has found a good home, as well as finding feeling with the F4 that he's never had before:  “the results achieved this season have shocked us, positively - comments Leon- often I've been able to be in the top four or five positions and come close to the podiums. These results have surprised both me and the team”.

It's been great to see the fast and very tall Leon battle with the others, knowing how to get his MV to fly through the turns: for next year, we won't have a new bike to homologate, so we'll work to improve the model used this year. Over the winter we'll work on many details, optimising the characteristics of our F4”.

What do you need to reach the podium?

Our main gap relates to the engine; we're lacking power and are working to get more horsepower out of the MV's 4 cylinders. Also, we need to reduce the overall weight. Another place we suffer is the start, because we're often behind. Our rivals can have more power and grip to use during qualifying and start with an advantage. We'll also work on the electronics and the bike's balance, also working on the frame”.

Would it be useful for you to have a team-mate?

That's not fundamental for us right now. We know what we need to do in terms of developing the bike and a second rider would take up economic resources and time. The team doesn't have such a big budget right now and so that would be a tricky hypothesis right now”.

What are you aiming for next season?

It's difficult to say, over the coming tests we'll understand where we are after the adjustments made as a result of the new technical regulation”.

The regulation will also mix up Sunday's starting grid but Leon doesn't see any dangers there: “It's very different, but doesn't seem negative to me, in fact I think it's a positive idea. In British Superbike the starting grid for the second race is established by the position earned in the previous race, while in SBK it's different, but I don't think it will be dangerous. The first nine riders are always fast and close in terms of performance, so those like Davies, Rea and Sykes will still fight for the top spot. This change will give teams like ours, and the non-factory teams, a good opportunity - it will give us more of a chance and we'll make the most of it to be stronger”.

Translated by Heather Watson
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