The MotoE riders' press conference kicks off the 2023 German GP at the Sachsenring. After four races, there are three riders enclosed in four points that lead the classification of MotoE
The words of the riders protagonists of MotoE 2023 in the press conference that kicks off the German GP on the historic Sachsenring circuit – The second round could not have gone better for the 2023 MotoE World Championship: two new winners, one race on a dry track, one in the rain, a rider who returns to victory after being stopped for more than a month due to an injury and a new top speed record: 281.9 km/h.
The Italian GP ended with Jordi Torres (Openbank Aspar Team) just two points ahead of Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE) and four on Hector Garzò (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE). Torres scored some important points at Mugello but, having not raced here in any class since 2014, he had a difficult weekend and was unable to fight for the podium. Ferrari, on the other hand, scored two more podium finishes after battling for the win in both races. For his part, Garzo had a good weekend, gaining important points, recovering some of the gap from Torres.
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The TV and streaming schedules of the German GP
On the eve of the German GP, another competitor was back in contention for victory: Eric Granado (LCR E-Team). The first race of the Brazilian, back from injury, was positive, but the second was surprising. Dominating the rain, he took his eleventh win in MotoE and took his tally in the 2023 second round to an impressive 35 points, just one less than Ferrari. Granado is now 28 points off the lead, much closer than the 45 he had before the Mugello weekend.
But now it's time to start the third round of the MotoE World Championship and it's an important weekend: electric competition returns to the Sachsenring for the first time since its debut race in 2019. A lot has changed since the MotoE was in Germany, four years ago; now the MotoGP electric class is well underway, and the Ducati V21L is preparing to face the famous Sachsenring Waterfall.
Before taking to the track on Friday morning, some MotoE riders met the press in the pre-event conference: the championship leader Jordi Torres (Openbank Aspar Team), the challenger Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE) and Mugello Race 2 winner Eric Granado (LCR E-Team). Here's what they said.
Jordi Torres (Openbank Aspar Team)
“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.
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 (Felo Gresini MotoE)
“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.
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 (LCR E-Team)
“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.
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."
Photos: MotoGP
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