It’s time for Round 3 of the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Championship and it’s a big weekend as the electric competition returns to the Sachsenring for the first time since the very first race in 2019. Much has changed as the grid touch down in Germany though, with the new era well and truly underway as the Ducati V21L prepares to take on the Waterfall!
Ahead of track action beginning on Friday morning, some of the protagonists so far sat down to go over key talking points: Championship leader Jordi Torres (Openbank Aspar Team), now closest challenger Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE™) and Mugello Race 2 winner Eric Granado (LCR E-Team). Here are some quotes and photos!
JORDI TORRES: “I think that the track is a good track for my riding style, many corners with many angles and you’re always feeling the throttle and the brake because you’re always at an angle, we will see what happens but for sure we need to learn about the brake points, the lanes, all this because I never rode here in MotoE and the last year I ran here was 2014, many years ago. For sure it’s a new track for everyone because this new bike is riding in a different way than before.”
Could it potentially be better weekend than Mugello here?
“Mugello was a difficult track for my constitution, my height, my weight, and here the main straight is really short and all your skills are always in the brake points, fast entry, riding as aggressive as possible with little feeling to stay there, to try and turn well in many double apex corners, it’s difficult to manage this track but for sure it’s better than Mugello.”
MATTEO FERRARI: “First of all I’m really happy to start another weekend again only a few days after a great weekend in Mugello. The feeling with the team and the bike is really good. We did a great Friday, free practice and qualifying, two different races – one dry, one wet – and we were fast in both conditions so I’m really happy about that. For sure we have to work a little on wet conditions because during the last lap Eric did a great step, but we have some data to study. We’re ready to start another weekend. We have good memories here at the Sachsenring, I did my first top 10 in Moto3 here… and also in 2019 with MotoE, the first race with MotoE.”
Will experience from the Sachsenring be valuable?
“In my opinion, we can try to see some 2019 videos and check some data, but for sure, this is a completely different bike, different tyres, different riding styles. I think from tomorrow morning we have to change our mentality from that year and we have to continue to work like in the past year. We have to reset this information and try ride this bike in the best way possible.”
ERIC GRANADO: “It was a very nice weekend for me in Mugello, like I said I was very happy and excited to start the weekend, it was a special one for me to come back acing after a long time. It’s true it was a short time on the back, just had some laps in Mugello, I was very happy and surprised with my speed on Friday, after a long time I was quite fast, doing good laps times. I was missing a bit of rhythm but in race one I studied a little bit and improved a little bit but I was not that fast especially in the first laps, I was not so concentrated. I understood this and I think it’s normal after a stop. But then in the wet conditions I felt very good on the bike, I had a very good feeling with the bike and you know it was so good I finished the Saturday with a win, on my birthday, it was crazy, it was a very nice day for me. Now we need to reset, start again, very happy to be here again and to race again this weekend. I just want to enjoy and feel the vibe on the bike and I hope I can have good speed and enjoy the weekend.”
Looking at the standings, now a lot closer…
“Well it was good points, a win is always special but here is quite a new track for us with this new bike. I still need to continue working and understand the bike, see my speed, of course do my best on the bike and see what happens. The first thing for me to do is to go on the track, enjoy, do my maximum and finish both races with points.”
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