The electric competition returns to the iconic track in a whole new era, with Granado playing catch up and the top three tighter than ever.
Round 2 couldn’t really have been better for the 2023 FIM Enel MotoE™ World Championship, with two more different winners, a dry weather spectacular and then a close showdown in the wet. And with the electric series breaking the 280kph barrier! It’s closed everything up on the way into Round 3, with Jordi Torres (Openbank Aspar Team) now only two points clear of Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE™) and Hector Garzo (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™) just four off the top.
How did that happen? Torres took some solid points at Mugello but, having not ridden at the track in any class since 2014, had a tougher weekend of it and couldn’t quite fight for the podium. Ferrari, meanwhile, took two more rostrum finishes after fighting for both wins.
Garzo had a good weekend overall though, taking two top sixes and gaining very slightly on Torres. And now, we have another contender back in action: Eric Granado (LCR E-Team). The Brazilian’s first race back from injury was solid but his second was a stunner. Mastering torrential conditions he took his 11th MotoE™ win and made his haul from Round 2 a substantial 35 points – just one less than Ferrari as the two were the top scorers. Granado is now 28 points off the top, which is an awful lot closer than the 45 it was before the weekend.
Sachsenring, however, is a whole new challenge. It hosted the very first MotoE™ race in 2019, but a lot has changed since then – not least of all the Ducati V21L breaking lap records at every venue so far. No one who returns to the venue in 2023 has been on the podium either, although Garzo got closest as he came home fourth. Will the standings close up even more? Will we see another different winner? Can the likes of Andrea Mantovani (RNF MotoE™ Team) and Kevin Manfredi (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse) mix it up at the front again? And can Mattia Casadei (Pons HP Los40) find that extra dash of consistency? We’ll find out this weekend!
Here are the key times for all the electric action:
Thursday 15:00: pre-event Press Conference (live on social media channels)
Friday 17:00: Qualifying (live on MotoE™ YouTube)
Saturday 12:15: Race 1
Saturday 16:10: Race 2
And make sure to check our our pre-round stats, attached below, and a comprehensive media pack about the Championship in 2023 – including a more in-depth dive into the new Ducati, information from smart charging partner Enel X Way, and a look at the Michelin MotoE™ tyres.
For more info checkout our dedicated MotoE News page
Or visit the official MotoGP website motogp.comA57
