Di Meglio lights up MotoE race

Mike Di Meglio won the Austrian GP MotoE race today, riding in difficult conditions to finish just over two seconds ahead of Avintia Esponsorama Racing’s Xavier Simeon.

Simeon took the lead at the start of the race, leading Mike Di Meglio and Spain’s Hector Garzo (Tech 3 E-Racing) into the first corner. Soon afterwards, a battle of attrition began. Championship leader Niki Tuuli (Ajo MotoE) ran off track on the first lap at turn 4, before Brazilian Eric Granado crashed out on the third lap after briefly taking the lead.

Di Meglio, on his Marc VDS machine, took the lead, leaving Xavier Simeon to battle with Hector Garzo for second place. However, there was heartbreak for Garzo as he tumbled on the final lap. This allowed Bradley Smith (One Energy Racing) onto the final podium spot.

Despite finishing on the podium for the second consecutive time, Smith was not entirely satisfied with his race, admitting that there had been “a few mistakes”.

San Marino rider Alex de Angelis took fourth, narrowly beating Italian Matteo Ferrari while 46-year-old Sete Gibernau (Join Contract Pons 40) took his best result of the season so far with sixth, ahead of Josh Hook and Jesko Raffin.

Di Meglio now leads the championship by five points over Smith. Xavier Simeon sits in third place, ahead of the winner of the first race, Niki Tuuli, who drops back to fourth.

Race result:

 1.   Mike Di Meglio (FRA), EG 0,0 Marc VDS – 8:41.799

 2.   Xavier Simeon (BEL), Avintia Esponsorama Racing, +2.238

 3.   Bradley Smith (GBR), One Energy Racing, +4.368

 4.   Alex de Angelish (SM), Octo Pramac MotoE, +5.071

 5.   Matteo Ferrari (ITA), Trentino Gresini MotoE, +5.155

 6.   Sete Gibernau (ESP), Join Contract Pons 40, +6.845

7.   Joshua Hook (AUS), Octo Pramac MotoE, +7.961

8.   Jesko Raffin (SWI), Dynavolt Intact GP, +8.907

9.   Niccolo Canepa (ITA), LCR E-Team, +10.331

10. Lorenzo Savadori (ITA), Trentino Gresini MotoE, +11.637

Di Meglio take MotoE pole with Bradley Smith third

First published August 10, 4pm

Frenchman Mike Di Meglio will start from pole position on Sunday’s MotoE race as former MotoGP riders took all three top spots in Saturday’s E-Pole qualifying session.

The EG 0,0 Marc VDS rider set a lap time of 1m 35.182s, beating Belgian Xavier Simeon (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) by 0.01 seconds. Britain’s Bradley Smith took third position aboard his One Energy Racing bike.

Swiss rider Jesko Raffin (Dynavolt Intact GP) will start from fourth on the grid, ahead of championship leader Niki Tuuli (Ajo MotoE) and Spain’s Hector Garzo (Tech 3 E-Racing).

Italian Matteo Ferrari headed up the third row in seventh, followed by 250cc and Moto2 race winner Alex de Angelis and Brazilian Eric Granado. 

The top 10 was rounded out by Openbank Ángel Nieto Team’s Maria Herrera, just over a second off polesitter Di Meglio.

Italy’s Mattia Casadei, second in MotoE free practice on Friday, had a qualifying session to forget as he crashed out at turn 3 of the Red Bull Ring and will therefore start from last place on Sunday.

 Qualifying results

1.   Mike Di Meglio (FRA), EG 0,0 Marc VDS, 1:35.182

2.   Xavier Simeon (BEL), Avintia Esponsorama Racing, 1:35.193

3.   Bradley Smith (GBR), One Energy Racing, 1:35.311

4.   Jesko Raffin (SWI), Dynavolt Intact GP, 1:35.365

5.   Niki Tuuli (FIN), Ajo MotoE, 1:35.385

6.   Hector Garzo (ESP), Tech 3 E-Racing, 1:35.390

7.   Matteo Ferrari (ITA), Trentino Gresini MotoE, 1:35.403

8.   Alex de Angelis (SM), Octo Pramac MotoE, 1:35.774

9.   Eric Granado (BRA), Avintia Esponsorama Racing, 1:35.888

10. Maria Herrera (ESP), Openbank Ángel Nieto Team, 1:36.266

 

MotoE: Tuuli continues domination in FP2

Previously published August 9, 4pm

Ajo MotoE rider Niki Tuuli continued the form that saw him win at Sachsenring by topping the FP2 timesheets this afternoon. The Finn set a blistering time of 1:35.225, making him fastest by more than half a second from Italian Mattia Casadei.

Casadei (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse) was faster than Britain’s Bradley Smith (One Energy Racing), who currently sits second in the standings, by one thousandth of a second.

Spain’s Héctor Garzó (Tech 3 E-Racing) finished in fourth position, ahead of former MotoGP riders Xavier Simeon (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) and Mike Di Meglio (EG 0,0 Marc VDS).

Italy’s Matteo Ferrari and Niccolo Canepa, Brazilian Eric Granado and Spain’s Maria Herrera rounded out the top 10 in that order.

The MotoE paddock had a scare earlier in the day as a fire broke out involving Niki Tuuli’s bike, which was being charged, but the fire was immediately put out by the fire department and FP2 went ahead without further delay.

FP2 results:

1. Niki Tuuli (FIN), Ajo MotoE – 1:35.225
2. Mattia Casadei (ITA), Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse, +0.620 secs
3. Bradley Smith (GBR), One Energy Racing, +0.621
4. Héctor Garzó (ESP), Tech 3 E-Racing, +0.659
5. Xavier Simeon (BEL), Avintia Esponsorama Racing, +0.739
6. Mike Di Meglio (FRA), EG 0,0 Marc VDS, +0.798
7. Matteo Ferrari (ITA), Trentino Gresini MotoE, +0.874
8. Niccolo Canepa (ITA), LCR E-Team, +0.920
9. Eric Granado (BRA), Avintia Esponsorama Racing, +1.252
10. Maria Herrera (ESP), Openbank Ángel Nieto Team, +1.268

More from MCN

• How to start motorcycle club racing
• What to expect on your first motorbike trackday
• “Motorcycling mecca” at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum