June 2021 - Esponsorama

27 June, 2021

Avintia Esponsorama completed the Motul TT Assen, fourth round of the MotoE World Cup, with Cardelús 12th and Pires 17th.

Xavi Cardelús had an unfortunate E-Pole as his lap was cancelled and he started from the back of the grid. After several unlucky races, the Andorran rider made a great comeback and in only 7 laps he was able to move up to 12th position.

André Pires missed out the points places by just two positions. The Portuguese rider made a step forward compared to previous races with a much more competitive pace. Despite this, Pires had to settle for 17th position.

The next MotoE World Cup Grand Prix will be held at the Red Bull Ring, which will host the Motorrad Grand Prix von Osterreich on 13, 14 and 15 August.

Xavier Cardelús | P12

“It wasn’t the race I wanted, but we knew it was going to be difficult starting from the last positions. It wasn’t a bad position, but probably if we had started from the middle of the grid, it would have been easier. We will keep working for the next one.”

André Pires | P17

“I’m happy and it’s a circuit I liked. It wasn’t my best position, but it was the race where I had the best pace. I felt good with the bike, and we made a step forward. Now it’s time to work for the next race and to be closer to the rest.”

27 June, 2021

Avintia Esponsorama Moto3 completed the Motul TT Assen race where Antonelli was 14th and Bartolini 16th.

Niccolò Antonelli had an unlucky race. With 13 laps to go, when he was fighting with the front group, the Italian rider was involved in an incident and couldn’t avoid a crash that made him lose some positions. Despite this, Antonelli picked up his bike and finally crossed the finish line in a creditable 14th position.

Elia Bartolini was just outside the top 15. Despite showing a good pace, it was not enough to finish in the points, and he had to settle for 16th position.

The Avintia Esponsorama Moto3 will be back in action from August 6th to 8th for the Michelin Grand Prix of Styria at the Red Bull Ring.

Niccolò Antonelli | P14

“I can’t say I’m happy today. I had a touch at the start of the race, and everything was under control until a rider in front of me braked and I did not understand why. I also had to brake and the rider behind me pulled me off. I am sorry because we were doing a good job, we were strong especially on used tires and I think we could have had a good result. It’s a pity, but we’ll come back stronger next time.”

ELIA BARTOLINI – P16
“I’m not happy with the race because I didn’t have a good pace and unfortunately, I didn’t stay with the leading group. We made a step forward and I was trying to recover positions after I made a mistake at Turn 1. I managed to get to the front of the group so I’m partly happy. It’s a pity I wasn’t with the leading group.”

27 June, 2021

Avintia Esponsorama and Sky VR46 Avintia completed the Dutch Grand Prix race, with Bastianini finishing 15th and Luca Marini 18th.

Enea Bastianini, who started 19th, set a good pace that allowed him to move up positions and cross the finish line in the top 15. The Italian rider adds one more point, placing him in 16th position in the overall standings.

Luca Marini did not find a good pace on his Ducati Desmosedici GP19 and had to settle for 18th position in a difficult race for him. The Sky VR46 Avintia rider is currently 20th in the standings with 14 points.

With more than a month to go without racing, Avintia Esponsorama and Sky VR46 Avintia will be back in action at the Red Bull Ring from August 6th to 8th, where the Michelin Grand Prix of Styria will take place.

Enea Bastianini | P15

“It was a good race, but I spent a lot of energy, and it was hard to get to the end. In the early stages I lost some time, but when I relaxed and let go, I felt more comfortable. We didn’t have a bad race, we probably need to improve a bit to find the limit of this bike. Now we have a few weeks to rest and to train because MotoGP is very tiring, both physically and mentally.”

Luca Marini | P18

“Today I struggled a lot. After free practice I chose the medium tire for the race, I felt confident, but with less grip it was not the best option. Like the other Ducatis, I had a lot of movement on the bike under acceleration that I had to manage. A shame and something to work on for the next races. In FP4 I didn’t feel comfortable on the hard, but with the medium I was able to ride as I wanted. Today with the wind it was more difficult. It’s time to enjoy a few days of relaxation and we’ll get back to work in Austria. I’m looking forward to it.”

26 June, 2021

The Avintia Esponsorama Racing riders completed the E-Pole of the Motul TT Assen, where André Pires finished 15th. Xavi Cardelús will start from the back of the grid due to a lap cancellation.

Pires closed his lap with a time of 1:48.799. The Portuguese rider was able to improve his feeling compared to yesterday and is in a good position to fight for the points in tomorrow’s race.

Xavi Cardelús will start the race 16th. The Andorran rider has been strong throughout the weekend, but unfortunately in his E-Pole lap he has exceeded the track limits, so his lap has been cancelled.

Tomorrow at 15:30 the Motul TT Assen, the fourth race of the MotoE World Cup calendar, will take place.

Xavier Cardelús | NO TIME | P16

“It wasn’t a good day for me and it’s the first mistake I’ve made in an E-Pole. I went long in a corner and stepped off the track. I think today we had a chance to get a good position for tomorrow as we were fast and there are some riders in front of us who also made mistakes. I need to focus for tomorrow, make a good start and try to move up positions.”

André Pires | 1:48.799 | P15

“It has been a difficult E-Pole, we knew it was going to be complicated and I didn’t manage to replicate the times of FP3. The important thing was to do a clean lap and as there are other riders who made mistakes, we will start in front of them. Tomorrow in the race I want to concentrate, get a good result and keep working. Thank you very much for the support.”

26 June, 2021

Niccolò Antonelli and Elia Bartolini will start the Motul TT Assen race in 7th and 16th position respectively after a positive qualifying session for the Avintia Esponsorama Moto3 team.

Both riders put in a strong performance this morning during the third free practice and secured a direct place in Q2. In qualifying, Antonelli set a best time of 1:41.667, which will allow him to start from the third row. Bartolini, with a time of 1:42.526, will start 16th, his best position since his debut in the World Championship.

Tomorrow at 11:00 the Moto3 race will start, where the Avintia Esponsorama Moto3 riders will try to cross the finish line with the best possible result.

Niccolò Antonelli | 1:41.667 | P7

“Today was a good day and we improved the bike a little bit compared to yesterday. I finished qualifying quite happy because we were able to do some good laps. We are ready for tomorrow.”

ELIA BARTOLINI – P16 (1:42.526)
“I am quite happy with the day because we made a big step forward. I apologize that in qualifying I wasn’t able to set a good lap and I couldn’t finish close to the front riders. Anyway, the bike is going very well, and we will start in 16th position, which is a good starting place for tomorrow. I hope to have a good race.”

26 June, 2021

Enea Bastianini and Luca Marini will start the Motul TT Assen in 19th and 17th position respectively after having to dispute the Q1.

Both riders had a difficult session and unfortunately couldn’t finish in the top two positions that would have allowed them to access to Q2. Bastianini closed his best lap with a time of 1:33.404 and Luca Marini with a time of 1:33.321.

The points of the Motul TT Assen will be given in the race that will take place tomorrow at 14:00 at the mythical Assen track.

Enea Bastianini | 1:33.404 | P19

“It has been a difficult day. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as we expected, so we will have to work for tomorrow because there is something wrong and we have to understand why. Tomorrow I will start 19th and I will do my best to get a good result.”

Luca Marini | 1:33.321 | P17

“Overall it has been a good qualifying and we are doing well, we always try to make the most of our potential. We are still working in this direction, we are missing something in the fast parts, all the Ducatis are struggling, and we hope that some of them will find a modification to have more stability. We are growing, I am happy, the level is extremely high, the bikes are constantly evolving, but step by step we are there. I am very happy with the relationship with the team and I feel good.”

25 June, 2021

The Avintia Esponsorama riders have completed their first laps on the Assen track after the first two free practice sessions of the Motul TT Assen with rain as the protagonist during the afternoon.

Xavi Cardelús ended the first day with a good feeling and was fast from the first free practice. The Andorran rider clocked a best time of 1:44.285 in the afternoon session, putting him in ninth position in the combined and close to the front riders.

André Pires was able to complete his first laps at Assen, a completely new circuit for him. The Portuguese rider has been working to improve and find the speed that will allow him to get closer to the rest of his riders. Pires set a time of 1:49.327.

Tomorrow in Assen there will be the third free practice and before the Dutch Grand Prix qualifying.

Xavier Cardelús

“First positive day, 9th position in the combined and we are not too far from the top 3. We will see if we can change some things tomorrow to find the speed we are missing, as we can be a bit quicker in a couple of parts of the circuit.”

André Pires

“It was a good Friday and I’ve been working on the adaptation. The track is very fast and I have never felt so much speed on the MotoE. In FP2 the weather conditions were not the best due to the rain, but I was able to improve my time. Now I must work to keep improving and get closer to the rest of the riders. I feel comfortable with the bike and in this circuit. I’m going to give it my all.”

25 June, 2021

The Avintia Esponsorama Moto3 team had its first taste of the Assen circuit this Friday after the first two free practice sessions of the Motul TT Assen.

Niccolò Antonelli ended a successfully first day in the Netherlands after finishing 7th in the combined session with a time of 1:42.358. The Italian set his best time in the morning session, as a few drops of rain fell on the track in the second free practice.

Elia Bartolini spent the first day at Assen working on his adaptation to a new circuit for him, where he was happy and comfortable on his KTM from the start of the day. With a best time of 1:43.721 set in the second free practice, the Italian rider is 25th in the combined standings.

The third free practice before qualifying for the Motul TT Assen will start tomorrow at 9:00 am.

Niccolò Antonelli

“Today went quite well and I felt fast. Unfortunately, it rained this afternoon, and we couldn’t work on the changes we made, but overall it was a good day for us.”

ELIA BARTOLINI
“I am happy because we are much closer to the leaders than in the previous races, although we could have done better. I didn’t make good use of the opportunities and unfortunately it rained in the second free practice. I’m sure we’ll make another step forward tomorrow.”

25 June, 2021

The Avintia Esponsorama and the Sky VR46 Avintia riders have completed the first two free practice sessions of the Motul TT Assen at ‘The Cathedral’.

Bastianini and Marini ended the first day in the Netherlands in 20th and 21st position respectively. Both riders were affected by the rain during the second free practice, which made it impossible to improve their times in the afternoon.

Tomorrow at 10:00 the third free practice of the Motul TT Assen will start, where Bastianini and Marini will have one last chance to get a position that will allow them to go directly to Q2.

Enea Bastianini

“It was a good day. It’s a very tricky and demanding track for MotoGP. In the morning, the bike was moving a lot and we had to work to make some changes and I think we made a step forward between FP1 and FP2, so I’m happy. However, there is still a lot of work to do to get to where I want to be. In the afternoon it rained in the second half of the session, so it compromised FP2 a little bit, but even in the wet I had a good feeling.”

Luca Marini

“Assen is a really difficult track with the Ducati, we all suffered a bit, but we can have fun. In FP2, due to the rain and the yellow flags at the start, we couldn’t do a lot of laps and I couldn’t set a fast lap. In general, we started quite well, we are missing something in the fast corners, but I’m sure we will solve this problem as we keep adding laps. In the rain I felt good grip and we can do well in these conditions.”

25 June, 2021

Avintia Esponsorama lands this weekend to race the fourth round of the MotoE World Cup, the Motul TT Assen. It will be the first time that the electric category completes a weekend in ‘The Cathedral’.

Xavi Cardelús arrives in the Netherlands after an unlucky weekend in Barcelona. Despite this, the Andorran rider has been showing a great progression this season, being faster, stronger, and more comfortable on the Energica Ego Corsa.

André Pires is looking forward to a new challenge for him, with the main objective of continuing to accumulate laps and learning in the category. The Portuguese rider is 15th in the overall standings with 11 points.

Tomorrow at 11:50am the Motul TT Assen will start with the first free practice session of the MotoE class.

Xavier Cardelús

“A new MotoE weekend and a new circuit for this category. We will see how we adapt and how fast we can be here. I’m happy to be back at Assen and it’s a circuit I think we can get a good result. I hope to have better luck as we are coming from three races without getting what we need as a team, I think we are working well and we deserve better results. We will work 100% and soon or later our reward will come.”

André Pires

“I’m happy to be at Assen, it’s a circuit with a lot of history. I am very motivated, ready to work with the team and try to improve from the last race. It’s a new circuit for me, it’s going to be difficult, but we’ll fight until the end.”