The FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup top six join the pre-event Press Conference for Round 3.
It’s time for Round 3 of the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup, with points leader Alessandro Zaccone (Octo Pramac MotoE) joined by Mattia Casadei (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse), Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP), Eric Granado (ONE Energy Racing), Jordi Torres (Pons Racing 40) and Matteo Ferrari (Indonesian E-Racing Gresini MotoE) in the pre-event Press Conference to talk about the new challenge of taking on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Here are some key quotes:
Alessandro Zaccone: “I feel good, I feel strong with the bike, with the team. I think that Le Mans was for me the most critical race last year and we did a great race with a big battle and I think that we can stay in the front also here. For sure is a new track for everybody for MotoE and we will see what happens but I think that we are ready also for this weekend.
“I feel much better with the bike. I think everybody thinks that Le Mans was the most beautiful race in MotoE! Because we did some great overtaking, and I think also here can be a great race.”
Mattia Casadei: “I’m very happy because I started a little bit behind from the other guys, but now… I don’t know, I’m fast like them. But I’m feeling confident and we’ll see what happens here, I’ll do my best like always.
“I like a lot this track, for me it’s fantastic and it’s the first time for all of us with MotoE and it’s different from all the other bikes. I don’t know what will happen.”
Dominique Aegerter: “The last few weeks was quite busy. I always had a race! But yeah, it keeps me keeps me fit and in racing mode. Sure when the racing is good and you can have a positive mind, you feel you are ready for the bike. This for sure helps. I’m really looking forward for this weekend, from the bike to Supersport… it’s different to ride with the MotoE bike. I tested here on this track already this year so I know where to go and also the new corner, what they did there, they did a very good job. And we will see how the weather will be, also the weather maybe can be surprising like in Le Mans, but yeah. If we can have consistent weather, we can work on the bike, work with the team to set up for the race on Sunday.
“I think this year, MotoE is much more competitive. You could see in all the races. We have a lot of overtaking in the race, and still it is quite a short race. Also with maybe one lap more than the last year but all the riders improved. So now it’s a new track and we will see how the laptimes will be here. But I think every day laptimes will improve. I think on Sunday we will have a great battle again because also it’s a long straight. The slipstream is also important so we will see what happens on Sunday but surely it’s important to start from the front and try to be in the top always, in every practice.”
Eric Granado: “About the race in Le Mans, it was great, it was so good after the heartbreak like you said in Jerez, I needed it. So now I’m much more motivated than before, with the win and with the good points in the championship. You know the team is doing a great job to help me, to help find the feeling and to be consistent and be calm on the bike. I think it was the key in Le Mans. I was very happy, it was a nice battle, a great race to watch. I think I watched it already 20 times and it was crazy! It’s good to have the win in these kind of races.
“MotoE is always very competitive. You know, here we have a big straight but I don’t know in which point you have advantage, with this slipstream or not, we will see. MotoE is always a surprise you know, but for sure we are always tight, you know the bikes are very similar, we saw that in Le Mans because I was in the back in the race and on the straight it was impossible to overtake, just in the braking and acceleration. So it will be nice. It’s a new track for us, so we start from zero. So all the job needs to be done from the first practice and to the race. So I hope I can continue on this line, have the same level and try to catch as many points possible for the championship.”
Jordi Torres: “This track is very special for me and I must to be on the top! Or try to fight to be there. But for sure this long straight is a penalty for us because I think I’m a little more heavy than the rest of the riders. And we’ll see what happens here. I try to be as small as possible on the straight to try and be as aerodynamic as possible! We know that on this track we need to do five or 10 metres earlier full throttle to be competitive in a straight line. But we’ll see what happens at this track. We know also that it has many long corners. But anyway we’ll see how this weekend is, also the weather for our practices and what happens at four on Sunday at our time for the race because this is later. And also it’s different conditions because many classes leave different in rubber on the ground. It’s completely different during the all the practice, you know, we need to understand this and manage our situation for our riding style.
“And we are able to listen to the fans! And also the other way you know, we can scream and you know, be loud to say hello to the guys! But for sure it’s a pleasure to come here and have some people watching the spectacle. Like Le Mans for example, that was an amazing race. Maybe here will be even better!”
Matteo Ferrari: “I think we did a great job in Le Mans. I had some problem during the Friday with the bike with the battery, but we continued to work. And I think during the during the race, we made a very good step. Unfortunately, during the second lap, two riders crashed in front of me so I lost a lot of positions and it’s very difficult when you are behind to overtake the other riders. Also the race was not too fast. In fact, during the last lap, I did the best lap of the race. But of course, this is MotoE. Every race is different, you have to understand which is the right way to win. And so this is one race for more experience. And now we are here in Barcelona. Of course I’ll try to start from FP1 with a good position to try to arrive in good position in E-Pole and also in the race.”
“I think also during the last two years, when riders with more experience arrive in the new tracks, during the first free practice were very, very fast but at the end during the Sundays or the race, all the riders know the track. And also Barcelona is not a very new track for all so I think during this weekend, we have to start in the in the right way, in the fastest way and we will see on Sunday.”
MotoE™ go racing at 16:00 (GMT +2) on Sunday at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, so make sure to tune in for another spectacular!