News 19 Jun 2019

Smith tops day two of MotoE testing at Valencia

Garzo earns E-Pole ahead of simulated race on day three.

Image: Supplied.

Bradley Smith (One Energy Racing) may have missed day one of the official FIM Enel MotoE World Cup test in Valencia, but the Brit made his presence felt on his return as he topped the timesheets with a 1m40.290s on Tuesday – just under a tenth faster than Hector Garzo (Tech 3 E-Racing).

Eric Granado (Avintia Esponsorama) completed the top three on the combined timesheets, but it’s Garzo who will start from pole in Wednesday’s race simulation.

On day two there were three sessions – one practice in the morning, one in the afternoon and an E-Pole qualifying session simulation in which riders do one fast lap each.

That was held around mid-way through the action and Garzo took the honour of the first, simulated E-Pole, although Granado was close as he ended the session just 0.025 in arrears. That session alone decides the starting grid for the race, and it’s Niki Tuuli (Ajo MotoE) who will complete the front row.

Smith, although fastest overall, was fourth quickest in qualifying, ahead of Xavier Simeon (Avintia Esponsorama) and Nico Terol (Openbank Angel Nieto Team), but the Brit won’t be present for the race. Nevertheless, after a first ever run through of a race start on Tuesday – each taking grid positions and then blasting away to test the procedure – Wednesday’s simulation should be a thriller.

Overall, the last session was the one that decided the majority of the top 10 on the combined timesheets. Both Smith and Garzo set their best efforts in that session, with Granado the only man in the top five who didn’t.

The Brazilian’s fastest lap was his E-Pole lap, putting him ahead of late improvers Mattia Casadei (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse) and consistent frontrunner Tuuli. The three were covered by just 0.065s.

Mike Di Meglio (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) was sixth fastest overall with his time from the morning, ahead of Matteo Ferrari (Trentino Gresini MotoE) and Maria Herrera (Openbank Angel Nieto Team), who both set their best efforts in the afternoon.

Simeon was ninth overall from his E-Pole lap, with Alex De Angelis (Octo Pramac MotoE) completing the top ten just 0.003s off the Belgian rider’s lap-time. The gaps were tiny from ninth to 13th – Terol was 0.018s off De Angelis, Niccolo Canepa (LCR E-Team) was next up and only 0.004s down, with Randy De Puniet (LCR E-Team) in P13 only 0.007s off his teammate.

De Puniet, who crashed on day two, also went down on Tuesday. Australian Josh Hook (Octo Pramac MotoE) missed the day’s action due to illness. There remains another day of testing for the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup on Wednesday, including the race simulation.

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