BRIT SMITH SETS PACE
The inaugural test of Grand Prix racing’s new electric-powered series charged into life at the weekend, with Bradley Smith topping the first three days of testing at Jerez. Riding the onemake Energica Ego superbikes for the first time, he finished ahead of former Moto2 rider Niki Tuuli and ex-Grand Prix winner Mike Di Meglio.
“In general, it’s a different concept, riding style and way of going about things,” he told MCN. “But I felt at home from the word go. Corner speed will be key, and ensuring you carry it. You end up using every single bit of track you can get yourself onto to do that. “The power is very smooth off the bottom and it’s not actually too direct. You have to be careful with the initial touch but after that there’s actually a power curve because they’ve smoothed it out. Even in the rain, I didn’t need to use the ‘safety’ mapping on the electronics, I could still control it with my wrist.” And while the weight of the batteries has raised concern among some, Smith says that, while noticeable, it isn’t that much of a factor.
“They’re obviously very heavy, so braking will take more understanding, ironing out and will be key to taking the bike to the next level. People will figure out cornering fairly quickly and getting on the power will be straightforward, but finding out how to stop 240kg without overloading the front will take some getting our heads around.” Smith’s best lap of 1m 50.265s was 11 seconds slower than the current MotoGP lap record.