MotoE’s E-Pole is very similar to the old super-pole style qualifying from the late nineties; Every forty seconds one bike is released from pit-lane. The riders will wait at the end at pit exit for a five second gap in which they have to leave the pit-lane. If you leave too early or too late, you will be black flagged from the session.
The riders have one warm up lap, one flying lap and one cool down lap. The order is based on practice times, with the slowest rider from practice going first and the fastest rider from practice going last.
The first rider to take the track was Maria Herrera on board the Openbank Angel Nieto Team bike. Unfortunately Maria left the pit-lane before the five-second countdown meaning she was black flagged and will start tomorrows inaugural MotoE race from last position.
As the session continue, the world watched with intrigue. As we all got used to the new noises and sights, the most noticeable sound you could hear apart from the electric motor was the riders knee sliders (yes really!).
Mattia Casadei gave fans something to watch as he entertained us with throwing his Ongetta Sic58 Squadracorsa bike around the Sachsenring Circuit with the bike sideways through turn ten and producing 1:29.905.
One of Valentino Rossi’s biggest rivals returns to racing in MotoE; Sete Giberneau will compete in this years MotoE World Cup. Evidently, today he has been working on his riding, still at the tender age of 46. He managed to drag his elbow on the floor through turn twelve and was able to secure thirteenth, three seconds off of the pole lap.
As the session came down to the final few riders the times kept getting quicker and quicker, with Eric Granado spectacularly smoking his rear Michelin tyre on his way to 1:28.254. He would eventually qualify his Avintia Esponsorama Racing bike in third.
Another rider to get a black flag was one of the race favorites for today’s E-Pole was Dynavolt Intact GP rider Jesko Raffin, who comitted the opposite crime to Maria Herrera, and left pit-lane to late.
Hector Garzo put together an excellent lap qualifying second on his Tech 3 E-Racing with a 1:28.254, again smoking the Michelin rear tyre on his bike.
Niki Tuuli immediately made his intentions clear as he was -0.181 up after the first sector and amazingly -0.643 up by sector two. You could see how much quicker Tuuli was on his Ajo MotoE bike as he snatched pole by an incredible -0.787.
With many people across the world skeptical of the new MotoE, today’s qualifying proved to be a success providing excitement and drama up and down the field. Tomorrows race will kick off at 09:00 UK time (10:00 local time) and it’s sure to provide drama and just something a little different.
