After the halfway point of the season in Most, the Superbike World Championship arrives in Portimao to inaugurate the second half of the year. A particularly important moment for Dominique Aegerter, who arrives in Portugal on the wave of the podium achieved last weekend in the CIV SBK, after a heated battle with Alessandro Delbianco. Never before has it been so important for the Swiss standard-bearer of the GRT team to obtain results with which to dispel the shadows that surround his future after a complicated first part of the season, which sees Domi occupy 11th place in the championship with 64 points. A situation we spoke about with the two-time Supersport World Champion on the occasion of the Racing Night of the Italian Speed Championship.
“It is a great pleasure for me to participate in the Italian Championship and there is no better place than Misano, which is a very beautiful track – Aegerter underlined – I have to thank the GRT team, which gave me the opportunity to participate in this race and train, so that I can arrive in good shape in Portimao. As you can also see from the times, there are some fast riders here and a good organization”.
Did you expect to find this level?
“I knew that there were some riders I raced with in the past, like Pirro, Bernardi, or Delbianco in Endurance, who are also good riders, but obviously the bike is not the same as the one I use in Superbike, so I have to adapt my riding. Also, riding at night is very special and on the first day I struggled a lot to see where to go, because it was quite dark. It’s not like in Qatar, and we also had to make some changes to the dashboard which was very bright, but I improved already on the second day”.
Is the bike that different from the one you use in the World Championship?
“Yes, it is configured according to the Italian Championship regulations, so it is quite different. Let’s say that the characteristics of the Yamaha engine are quite similar, but the electronics, the tyres, the riding position and all this kind of things are very different. It is more difficult to get used to a new bike and take it to the limit, than to find the feeling with one you already know”.
Talking about the World Cup, there were great expectations for the first part of the season but the results didn’t come. How do you live this moment?
“I think I’ll live better when I get better results (laughs), but I’m certainly not giving up. I train really hard. I put everything I have into the race weekends to try to achieve my result, which is to be in the top six. A couple of times we were a bit unlucky and had some technical failures, while in the other races I was strong in qualifying and we managed to start from the second row. I got a few good Top 10s, but not where I wanted to be.”
How much did missing the first part of winter training weigh on you?
“We lost a lot, because you have four days where it is important to get the base set-up of the bike. It is very difficult to do that during a race weekend, because the Friday tests have to be done one with new tyre and one with used tyre and maybe in the morning the track temperature is 30°C and in the afternoon 45°C, so it is always quite difficult to make changes when you don’t have a base. I think we missed that a bit this year to be able to have better performance on Friday morning, but we tried to understand how to improve”.
Do you think this is the main reason why you are struggling so much?
“Not really, because I know the bike and we have some data from last year, but also the level of Superbike has increased, so there are three or four more riders fighting for the top five and everything has to be perfect to be able to finish in the top six, as I want to do. But up until now we have been struggling a bit and we have to work to get back to where I finished last year”.
Is it helping you to see the data from other Yamaha riders?
“Yes, seeing the data of three different drivers is a great help for all of us to take the project further.”
Rea seems to be starting to understand the bike. What do you think of his progression?
“He has been with another manufacturer for a long time and I think he expected better results when he joined the Yamaha family. However, he has taken a pole position and a third place and has just overtaken me in the championship. He is a legend of Superbike, but he also needs some time to understand the bike and the set-up, but I hope I can stay ahead of him (smiles ed.)”.
Your contract expires at the end of the season and there are a lot of rumours about your future at the moment, what can you tell us about it?
“We are talking with the team and Yamaha to see what will happen next year. Obviously I would like to continue in Superbike, but we will see what happens in the next few weeks”.
Are you already thinking about a plan B in case that isn’t possible?
“I try to stick to plan A and then we’ll see. Right now I’m focused on this weekend and then the next one, and then we’ll see what happens. My brother is with me, who is also my manager, and he will take care of all the offers I have and the options for next year.”
How frustrating is it for a three-time World Champion to be in this position?
“Motorsport is always difficult when you don’t have good results, because there are 100 other drivers who want to take your place. I think the most important thing is to focus on the races, try to get good results and then we can talk about contracts. Let’s say that for me, who am 33 years old and Swiss, it is not always easy to find the best place”.
Do you think you arrived too late in Superbike?
“For me, age is just a number, but I feel like last year or the year before that I was in my best years. I’m over 30, but I feel great and I hope I can continue for a few more years.”
