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We have seen him on the starting-grid of virtually every category, the last one being MotoE. We are talking about Alex De Angelis, who this year inaugurated his second season in the electric class with the colours of the Pramac team.
The San Marino rider was the guest of the Thursday live with the GPOne readers for the occasion. They asked the questions.
“I am spending this period in San Marino - Alex began - It is pointless to deny that the desire to return to the track is huge, also because MotoE is more fun than you think. Among other things, I had an opportunity to read the interview with Poncharal, I can understand that MotoE might be put to one side compared to MotoGP, which is the most important category. Maybe we could race on those tracks where there will be more openings ".
In the meantime, rumours are going around about the start of the season…
“At best, we will try to start in August, trying to do as many GPs as possible, since holding 5-6 races is nonsense. I say this because if it were so, the World Champion would be the one who made the least mistakes and not the strongest. Two GPs on the same track? For me, it will be difficult to get the manufacturers and riders to agree, even though I don't think it is a bad idea to see more races in the same circuit. "
Leclerc said it would be interesting to race two GPs on the same track, but in the opposite direction.
“We did it with minibikes - he recalled - Misano would already be ready since at the beginning it was held counter-clockwise, while for other circuits it would become impossible, because of the run-off areas. Personally, I would like to race the other way on a track like Suzuka or Phillip Island."
Let us go back to talking about MotoE. How much has it grown this year?
"A lot! Also, because we have obtained results with lap times that few would have imagined, and the gaps have come down immensely ".
However, there are still some problems to be solved…
“One of the biggest problems was the battery overheating the moment you went out on the track. To prevent this, you had to charge the bikes long before the start of the tests or the race. I would say that this problem has been partially eliminated, as temperatures are lower now. Speaking of riding, however, the MotoE bike still weighs a lot, but certainly some important steps forward have been made working on the set-up. For example, we use fork springs that are impossible to use on other bikes. Extremely hard".
How much does the weight affect the bike?
“You need to be more careful, because the moment you are busy overtaking and by chance you go long, with that bike it is easy to hit the rider in front of you and end up both on the ground. Sometimes you can look like you made a dirty move on someone without wanting to. We riders have noticed it, even though being careful is not enough ".
Putting you on the spot here: MotoE or 250: which one do you prefer?
"It will never be possible to compare MotoE to another category as long as we don’t have different bikes, as happens in other classes. MotoE is the only category to have all the same frames, springs, suspension, and brakes. It seems more like a trophy than a World Championship category. "
How would you see MotoGP riders racing on a MotoE bike?
“There could be some surprises, I speak for example of those who in MotoGP race with a satellite bike and who consequently see their value reduced. But I think the winner will always remain the same. "
It is clear you refer to Marquez…
"Marc is very good, especially for his saves, he is brave to do it in the fast corners, because if you make a mistake there you risk having one of the biggest crashes in history".
Alex let us talk about the past for a moment. What is the bike that has remained in your heart most of all?
“The 125cc and 250cc have remained in my heart. The Ducati 1000 also remained in my heart when I was called upon to replace Spies at Laguna Seca. With that bike, in fifth and sixth gear, the only two gears in which electronics don't cut the power, I felt my arms were being ripped apart. "
In the meantime, you have even become a manager…
"Let us put it this way, I think it's a great initiative – the one launched by me and Roccoli - especially useful for bringing young guys to the track, who in addition to absorbing the experience want to beat us. As a team we are not interested in getting to the World Championship, but to help the guys and do something important in the Italian Championship ".
Staying on the subject of motorcycles, how fond are you of yours?
“I can tell you only one thing. When I go out on the track with my bikes, the goal is to bring the bike back home, when I go with the team one, I aim to be fast. "
In addition to being a driver and manager, Alex is also a journalist…
“I'm not a journalist. I want to thank Sky for giving me this opportunity, even if I do nothing but tell on a technical level what I see in the pits. From this year, in addition to MotoGP, I would also have spoken about Moto2 and Moto3, two categories where there is greater freedom and it’s easier to understand the work in the pits ".
A long career that has taken you face-to-face with a lot of riders. Who would you like to remember?
“Firstly Stoner, someone who after three free practice sessions on Friday was already one tenth off the circuit record. Only he was able to do that. Valentino, on the other hand, surprised me for making it look so easy, as if he were out for a walk, but instead he was amazingly fast. Finally, there is also Marquez, the strongest rider; someone who started last and finished first in the past, he also won the title in his first year in MotoGP ".
What did you feel the first time you got on a motorbike?
“I was young physically, more than my age. I remember that the tank was like a bathtub, instead it was simply a 125. I often remember when, we were in Imola in 1999, I went out onto the track and for the first time I found myself alongside the riders who until the day before I had been watching on TV: it was an incredible emotion. "
