The Finnish rider and the Ajo MotoE Team make motorcycle racing history and become the first leaders of the newborn championship.

It’s been an unforgettable weekend for the Ajo MotoE Team. After recording the E-Pole yesterday, Niki Tuuli won the first-ever race in the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup at Sachsenring today. The Finn youngster wrapped up a great visit to Germany by becoming the first leader in the overall classification of the championship, in an intense race which saw lots of overtaking and concluded two laps early due to a red flag.

The Ajo MotoE Team rider, who took off from first position on the grid, overcame a difficult start to a race that was reduced from 8 to 7 laps – after being declared wet. The Finn quickly recovered and got in front on the fourth lap. Tuuli held off attempts by his rivals to challenge his lead, starring in an intense race which was cut short with two laps remaining, due to a red flag – with two thirds of the originally scheduled distance completed.

Thanks to this result, Tuuli becomes the first leader in the history of the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup, with 25 points. The next date on the calendar for the Ajo MotoE Team is the Austrian GP, which will be held at the Red Bull Ring from 9th – 11th August.

Results (MotoE Race)
1. Niki Tuuli (Ajo MotoE Team) 7:27.862
2. Bradley Smith +0.442
3. Mike Di Meglio +0.567
4. Hector Garzo +0.991
5. Matteo Ferrari +2.095

MotoE World Cup Standings 2019
1. Niki Tuuli (Ajo MotoE Team) 25 points
2. Bradley Smith 20 points
3. Mike Di Meglio 16 points
4. Hector Garzo 13 points
5. Matteo Ferrari 11 points

Aki Ajo – Team Manager

“I’m very happy to see how exciting the first race in MotoE history was. Although the races are short, yesterday’s E-Pole also impressed me. It is an interesting qualifying procedure. Of course, I’m glad of the performance of Niki [Tuuli], who has been impressive. He’s surprised many people in the paddock with his great work. I’ve known Niki since he was very young and I know how serious he is about this sport. He has a bright future in this championship.”

66 NIKI TUULI

“I’m very happy. We were able to produce a great pace throughout the weekend and session by session we took steps forward. In the race, it was harder because we didn’t know exactly how the track conditions would be after the rain early in the morning. I began carefully and then after the first two laps I started to push hard. The race was shorter than usual and that meant we had less time to put our strategy into practice. However, in the end I managed to get away from the rest a little bit at the front.
Of course getting the victory is an unbeatable start to the year. We set an incredible beginning to the competition and we know what I am good at and what I need to improve. I like the atmosphere in the MotoE championship, as everything is much simpler and the riders push for results, but also enjoy riding the bike. There’s no pressure for me, I’ll just try to have fun and do well in the next race.”