Niki Tuuli finishes in the points at the second round of the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup, despite running off track at the start of the race.

After a great performance on Friday and Saturday in Austria, today the Ajo MotoE Team had a tough race, as it was the first time Niki Tuuli rode his bike in wet conditions. The Finn had shown strong potential throughout the weekend, ending every session within the Top 5. Despite today’s rain, Tuuli managed to get into the points with a 15th place finish, overcoming a run-off at Turn 4 on the first lap when in fourth position.

The Finnish youngster started from the second row of the grid and got off the line well, reaching fourth position on the first corner. In the lead group, when braking at Turn 4 Niki went off track and lost time as a result. Despite the setback, the Ajo MotoE Team rider got back into the points, crossing the finish line in 15th place.

Niki Tuuli now occupies fourth in the overall standings, with 26 points. The next round of the championship takes place at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli from September 13th to 15th, with two races for the class.

Results (MotoE Race)
1. Mike Di Meglio 8:41.799
2. Xavier Simeon +2.238
3. Bradley Smith +4.368
4. Alex de Angelis +5.071
5. Matteo Ferrari +5.155
15. Niki Tuuli (Ajo MotoE Team) +22.490

MotoE World Cup Standings 2019
1. Mike Di Meglio 41 points
2. Bradley Smith 36 points
3. Xavier Simeon 29 points
4. Niki Tuuli (Ajo MotoE Team) 26 points
5. Alex de Angelis 23 points

Aki Ajo – Team manager

“It was a difficult race, since nobody had experience in the wet with this bike. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a warm-up to try it out, and it was very easy to make a mistake. Niki [Tuuli] had some riders ahead of him and made an error going into Turn 4. He went off-track and from there it was impossible to catch the top riders. He did a great job this weekend in the Free Practices, so we hope he will get back into the fight for victory at the next race.”

66 NIKI TUULI

“I felt good at the beginning of the race, even though the track was wet. I kept calm and tried to follow the front group, but when braking at Turn 4 it was very difficult to stop the bike. There were three riders in front of me, on the same line. I was fourth, and I had to go wide. It was my first experience in the wet with this bike and it was difficult. I went off the track and then there was nothing I could do from there besides just finishing the race. We dropped some important points, but these things happen. I want to thank the team for all their work; now it’s time to focus on the next round.”