Major Fire Guts Jerez Pit Lane During MotoE Test

Published 03/14/2019, 3:01 PM EDT

For this season, one of the most hotly anticipated series, is the FIM MotoE series. This series was conceived on the back of the success that Formula E received. However, it seems to have hit a huge snag in the build-up to the inaugural season. Apparently, during the second pre-season test in Jerez, there was a major fire in the paddock.

The 18 Energica Ego Corsa electric bikes were present at the paddock for a three-day test. All bikes took to the track on Wednesday, while the incident occurred at around 12.15 am (local time) on Thursday. Reports state that the fire engulfed the paddock and destroyed all 18 bikes. As a result the series may possibly in jeopardy for 2019 and may be delayed.

Later, MotoE promoters, Dorna released a statement saying, “A fire in the newly-built E-paddock has destroyed the majority of material for the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. Fortunately there have been no injuries. An update will follow in the coming hours regarding the exact causes of the fire and any subsequent changes to the calendar.”

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MotoE is is said to be a step towards the future of racing and was launched last year as a support series to MotoGP. It was scheduled to debut later in 2019 and included shorter races of about 10 laps on grand prix weekends. So far, the MotoE World Cup boasts of a 12-team entry list. A few MotoGP satellite teams had elected to field Energica Ego machinery. The rider list includes the likes of Bradley Smith, Sete Gibernau, Nico Terol, Maria Herrera and many more.

The Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme [FIM], also gave a statement on the incident. It said, “It is a terrible blow but I am sure that all those working for this exciting new venture will find the strength and motivation to overcome this unfortunate occurrence and make the Championship a success. We look forward to putting this behind us and are confident in the future.”

It was actually fortunate that nobody was injured during the incident.

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Dhruv George is a senior Formula One and NASCAR analyst for EssentiallySports, having authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR, Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1 driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino.