Former emblematic manager of Michelin in MotoGP, Nicolas has embarked on an exciting new adventure by becoming Executive Director of the new MotoE World Cup. The first of five races on the 2019 calendar will take place at the Jerez GP, followed by Le Mans, Germany, Austria and Misano. The next test will take place in Jerez, from March 13 to 15.
Nicolas, to promote this new championship, you invited great champions to test the bike during their national GP in 2018, like Mick Doohan in Australia, Aspar Martinez in Valence, Randy de Puniet at Le Mans, without forgetting Randy Mamola, Fonsi Nieto , Neil Hodgson, Colin Edwards and Max Biaggi. What was their point of view, overall?
“The pilots really appreciated the availability of the engine and the ease of piloting. Max, for example, thought that the speedometer was wrong because it was already at 240 km/h at the start of the boxes on the Mugello straight! »
The field is incredibly diverse, with drivers coming from all walks of life. Could this bring an additional element of suspense?
“We are very happy to have such a field which brings together 10 different nationalities and renowned drivers with Sete Gibernau, Bradley Smith and Randy de Puniet. As it is a cup with identical material for each, the suspense will be there in any case. »
How does the engine brake work? Does the Energica Ego Corsa have a braking energy recovery system?
“Yes, the motorcycle is equipped with an energy recovery system which acts as an engine brake. In fact the driver has two “electric” brakes:
- The basic “engine brake” of which he will choose the level from three available and which will come into operation as soon as he closes the handle
- An additional electric brake that can be activated on the handlebars using a push button and which acts when activated. »
Is there traction control, possibly useful in the wet?
“No, it will be up to the pilots to control this. We saw in Jerez that this would not pose a problem. »
In terms of noise, are you looking for a solution to add some sound ambiance?
“We realized in Jerez that the sound is present when you have all the bikes on the track. It is of course very different and has a much lower noise level than what we are used to in the racing world, but it is futuristic and in the future will allow free testing (outside of competition weekends and official tests) without encountering the current difficulties. »
Will the Michelin tires used be identical for all circuits, or will there be an adaptation for each track?
“This will remain the responsibility of Michelin. »
In automotive Formula E, Renault, Audi, Jaguar, Mahindra and Citroën are present, while BMW, Mercedes and Porsche have announced their intention to join them. Do you feel the motorcycle manufacturers are also interested?
“There are some tremors but the main motorcycle manufacturers reacted later than the car manufacturers and do not yet have an electric motorcycle in their range with a few exceptions. I think they will follow the launch of MotoE with interest and for our part, we will remain attentive to their reaction. »
Photos © motogp.com / Dorna, Michelin
