Rennie Scaysbrook | March 14, 2019
The MotoE Series opener has been canceled after pit fire. The MotoE Championship for electric motorcycles, set for the beginning of May, got off to a catastrophic start when the pits erupted in flames at Jerez, Spain.
The teams and riders were assembled at Jerez for the second pre-season test in which Brazilian Eric Granado went fastest when the fire broke out, with all 18 Energica Ego racebikes and all team property including laptops, tools, and rider gear destroyed.
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The series was due to start at the first European round of the MotoGP World Championship on May 5. It was then planned to travel to the French, German, Austrian and San Marino rounds on the MotoGP undercard.
A statement on the incident by MotoGP bosses read:
“As previously stated, an investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the fire, the results of which will be published as soon as it has concluded.
“The FIM Enel MotoE World Cup is a competition born from innovation, powered by 100 percent renewable energy. This ambition to evolve and experiment with new technologies brings with it an associated risk. It can be confirmed, however, that no motorcycles were charging at the time of the incident in the box in which the fire started.
“Dorna Sports and all of our partners in this new venture are committed to getting the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup back on track as soon as possible, with work already underway to begin rebuilding and replacing materials and motorcycles lost in the fire.
“MotoE will race in 2019 and a revised calendar will be announced in due course. However, it can be confirmed that the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup will not race at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto as part of the Gran Premio Red Bull de España this season.”
