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The flames in Jerez had scared and depressed Alex De Angelis, who was ready to get back into the game in the new MotoE. For a brief but bad moment, the dream of returning to compete in a serious competition had vanished, along with all the material that had gone up in smoke that night in Spain.
With a lot of work and an adjustment to the calendar, the Enel FIM MotoE World Cup will be held, and it will be important to arrive prepared for the first date in Germany. De Angelis is looking forward to it.
"The season will start later than planned but, fortunately, we'll be racing. I'm happy because the electric project is interesting, and the Energica is fun to ride. As soon as you touch the throttle, it gives a significant thrust. Not having traction control, riding it is exhilarating. The rider can make the difference in the MotoE. In tight hairpins, you need sensitivity and courage when at full throttle.
You rode a few laps. Where and what can you improve?
"We'll be going to Valencia for three days of tests. We have to accumulate kilometers and data on which to work. I like the Spanish track. I prefer it to Le Mans. In Valencia, I won with the 250 two-stroke, and we'll have a double race there. The potential of electric bikes is incredibly high. The times recorded in Jerez were unthinkable on the eve of the collective tests. Try to imagine with just a bit of development, and removing a few kilos of weight and extending the battery life... at that point, the MotoE would become an important class. I hope that everything goes well. Maybe next year we'll have more dates included in the calendar."
You've ridden all types of racing bikes. Which one resembles the Energica?
"It's a mix of everything. In acceleration, from tight hairpin turns, it expresses a lot of power, and reminds me of the MotoGP. In fast corners, it's a lot like a Moto3 because it's fluid in delivery, with round and wide trajectories. Depending on the type of track and corner, the Energica reminds me of all the bikes I've ridden before. You have to adapt in the seat, at every point on the track."
Alex is always in the GP paddock as a technical commentator for TV. A rider's opinion is worth more than many other words. The King of the Premier Class for him is he who leads the world championship rankings.
"At the moment, Marquez is impregnable. His first adversary is himself. He falls a lot and, of course, we hope he doesn't get hurt because if Marc should miss one or more races, the championship would open again to everyone. Only in that case. Otherwise, it'll be tough for his rivals. The Spanish rider from the Honda team makes a difference in the MotoGP."
Could Marquez also make a difference in the MotoE?
"Definitely. Marc has gained a lot of experience. He's really fast, hard to beat. You know what? In my opinion, Marquez is one of those riders who's able to win in two categories at the same time, just like Freddie Spencer did in 1985, with the 250 - 500 double win. Unfortunately, we'll never know if he can do it because the regulation forbids it, but I'm convinced."
Mara (almost) always wins. Do you also want to get back to succeeding?
"I don't question myself, and I'm not getting back on the bike by chance. the Octo Pramac team made me want to race again, and the MotoE is right for me. I'll be in a top-level team. My goal is simple: having climbed up on the podium in all the categories I participated in, I only need one step in the electric class. I want to get on that step, possibly the highest one."
