Ángel Nieto Team MotoE - Jerez Test

2018-11-23 19:27
ÁNGEL NIETO TEAM BEGINS ELECTRIC ERA
Spanish team make MotoE debut with bike that Nico Terol and María Herrera will race in the inaugural FIM Enel MotoE World Cup in 2019
After a year of development by some of the world’s most illustrious riders, the new MotoE bikes were on track together today for the first test of the new electric era at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto. The twelve teams and eighteen riders that will take part in the inaugural FIM Enel MotoE World Cup in 2019 completed their first day of preseason at the Spanish track, with the fastest lap time set by Finnish rider Niki Tuuli (1’51.721), just a tenth ahead of Brazil’s Eric Granado and Frenchman Randy de Puniet.

The Ángel Nieto Team embarked on the new electric era of motorcycle racing with Nico Terol and María Herrera as the two riders charged with contesting the five rounds that will make up the new series in 2019. Terol was the faster of the two today after completing ten laps with a best effort of 1’54.192. Terol had the opportunity to ride the bike here on the occasion of the Spanish Grand Prix earlier in the year and is confident that there is plenty of room for improvement over the next two days of the test. Riding the Energica machine for the first time was María Herrera, who was sixteenth fastest in her debut appearance on the bike she will race in 2019. The Spanish youngster reported a good feeling from her first laps of the Spanish track and already has some ideas on how to adapt her riding style to the specific demands of this new machine.


12th Nico Terol 1’54.192: “I did seven laps in the final session of the day, after watching my team-mate in the other two. I didn’t have the set-up how it needed to be – it was very soft on the front and I couldn’t brake how I wanted. On the fourth lap I set my best time and I am sure I could have gone faster but tomorrow I will have two sessions back to back and I’ll be able to give more and get more out of the bike.”

16th María Herrera 2’00.562: “The first feeling with the MotoE bike is good, the acceleration is quite smooth and it reminds me of a 600 – you have to keep the corner speed up because you can’t be aggressive on the gas. I have to understand the best way to get this bike stopped with the weight it has, which will be one of the main points of focus, as well as the inertia in corner entry, having never ridden a bike like this before. I didn’t ride much today, only the first two sessions, but I am keen to get the bike set up how I like it and seeing how far we can go with it.”

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