MV Agusta’s Leon Camier believes that the changes being made to the works team for the 2016 World Superbike team should bring big benefits and he is targeting a pile of top-six finishes.
Giovani Cuzari’s Forward Racing will run the team next season and only plan to have Camier in a one-bike squad. The former British Superbike Champion will have a raft of technical upgrades at his disposal by the time he reaches the Phillip Island test in February and also more budget and different staff,
“There’s a lot of changes going on with Cuzari coming to the team. For one, a lot of staff changes. I think a bit of a different budget will come in as well, which could help things for sure,” said Camier.
“From a technical side, I think there are a lot more opportunities with him coming in; different staff and more opportunities for other people to develop stuff. I’m pretty positive there will be a good improvement for next year. From what I hear, there is so much more work being done in this off-season than what there was throughout the whole of last year.
“I am quite looking forward to getting testing at the beginning of next year. For the Jerez test next week, not so many big differences are going to come. There is one vital thing we are hoping to happen there, but for next year there should be a lot more changes.”
“A lot of changes are meant to be happening. This year, to be honest, there wasn’t so much development, but now MV has a year of understand and learning behind them. I think this is really positive. We know the direction in which we need to go with the bike, with the chassis, power and stuff like that.
“We have a lot of information now. Over the winter we need to make a lot more parts to go testing at the beginning of the year with a new package. The base will stay the same, but there will be quite a few changes. From what I understand development-wise, from what is happening now, there are a lot of things that will change. Hopefully everything is looking good to improve.”
MotoGP exile Marco Melandri has been wheeled in as test rider and he will put in a couple of days at Jerez next week before Camier flies in to take over. It is thought the Italian will only fulfil a test capacity in 2016.
“The plan I know for the minute is that it will be one rider. I think, if the budget was to change or whatever the reason may be, then I think he (Melandri) would be next in line to have a bike. I believe the plan is for him to test the bike in Jerez at the end of the month and then I will do the last two days. That’s the plan at the minute. I think it will be good for him to try the bike and see what he feels, but at the minute as far as I know it is just one rider and that is meant to be me.”
