The MotoE 2023 World Championship was officially presented on the Vallelunga track, the championship reserved for electric motorcycles in which Ducati is engaged as sole supplier with the “V21L” prototype. Claudio Domenicali, Ducati CEO together with Carmelo Ezpeleta, Dorna Sports CEO and the representatives of the main championship partners presented the fifth edition of the “zero emissions tournament” to the press, which for the first time will have worldwide ownership.
Claudio Domenicali CEO of Ducati: “The decision to participate in the MotoE World Championship as sole supplier of the bikes is a pillar of the Ducati strategy. In fact, electrification, together with the introduction of carbon neutral fuels for internal combustion engines (e-fuel), will be necessary to reduce Ducati’s carbon footprint and allow us to achieve our long-term sustainability goals. However, every true Ducati is above all emotion, so it is very important to manage this transition with great care, taking care to maintain the sporty character and fun to ride characteristics of every Borgo Panigale bike. With the V21L we wanted to challenge the limits of the sector by aiming for the most performing electric motorcycle ever made for the track. Above all, we wanted to develop the company’s internal skills to be ready when battery technology, in particular weight, will make it possible to create an electric street motorcycle with all the characteristics that distinguish a Ducati. Having 18 riders with different needs and riding styles on the track at the same time represents a great opportunity for Ducati to study what could become the character of a future electric Ducati. The first tests in Jerez went very well. Despite the not too favorable weather, the feedback on the bike from the riders and teams was very good, setting the new unofficial record of the circuit. Ducati has never built such a large number of prototypes and this too represents a challenge within a challenge for us.”
After the first official tests in Jerez beginning of March, the championship series will once again see all the riders of the World Championship on track in Barcelona on 3, 4 and 5 April to then take officially starting on May 13th with the French Grand Prix at Le Mans. The calendar then includes Mugello (June 10), Sachsenring (June 17) and Assen (June 24). After the summer break, the Ducati MotoEs will be back on track at Silverstone on August 5, before facing the three final Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring (August 19), Catalunya (September 2) and Misano (September 9).
The format will see two free practice sessions on Friday morning, followed by as many qualifying sessions in the afternoon. The two races will be held on Saturday, the first at the end of MotoGP qualifying and the second after the Sprint Race, another novelty introduced in the 2023 season. A new format is envisaged for qualifying while the teams will be able to count on a completely new to the paddock.
The 18 riders, supported by 9 teams, will race astride the “V21L” prototype, designed and built by Ducati with a development process that lasted just over a year with the contribution of test riders Michele Pirro, Chaz Davies and Alex De Angelis, who in Vallelunga he did some demonstration laps on the Ducati electric motorcycle. For the Borgo Panigale manufacturer, this project was born with the aim of developing skills for its future, maintaining the approach that has always fueled the Ducati DNA: experimenting with technological solutions in the world of racing and working so that everything developed in this area can then land on the bikes destined for enthusiasts from all over the world.
