Podium narrowly missed at Assen for the MotoE Team

Friday, June 27th

The MotoE Free Practice sessions kick off the weekend under rainy conditions, giving riders the chance to adapt to a wet track before a weekend that, according to forecasts, is expected to continue on a dry surface.
Both riders take advantage of the session to familiarize themselves with the circuit, gather valuable data, and prepare for potential weather changes throughout the weekend.

The track dries in time for the MotoE practice sessions, providing favorable conditions for the riders. Nicholas Spinelli quickly proves competitive, positioning himself in 2nd place during the opening laps. Tibor Varga, still adapting to the bike and the circuit, manages a solid session, holding off several competitors despite being a rookie.
Spinelli concludes the session in 6th place, earning direct access to Q2, while Varga, further back, will need to advance through Q1 to secure a good starting position on the grid.

The 10 minutes of Q1 are not enough for Tibor to find the necessary feeling to secure access to Q2, but the Hungarian rider still manages to improve his times, securing a start from the points zone.
In Q2, Nicholas takes to the track first, aiming to maximize the number of fast laps. He consistently holds top positions throughout the session, losing the front row only in the final lap. Despite this, he achieves an excellent result, securing 4th position on the starting grid for Saturday's races.

Saturday, June 28th

The uncertain weather before MotoE Race 1 fortunately stabilized, offering dry conditions. Both Team Snipers riders had exceptional starts: Tibor Varga shone with an impressive recovery of 6 positions on the opening lap, while Nicholas Spinelli firmly held 4th place, battling for a podium spot.
After some aggressive overtakes, Varga was forced wide, losing ground. Despite this, his race pace remained highly competitive, allowing him to make steady progress.
In the fast-paced 7-lap race, Spinelli engaged in a fierce battle for positions between 3rd and 5th, ultimately finishing in 4th place, matching his grid performance.
Varga, steadily climbing through the field, concluded Race 1 just outside the top 10, showcasing promising signs for Race 2.

Despite the clouds, Race 2 also took place on a dry track. Spinelli had a strong start, quickly moving up to 3rd position, while Varga gained a spot during the first lap and maintained a consistent pace throughout.
The battle for the podium intensified, with Spinelli among the frontrunners. However, repeated track limit violations by him and other riders led to a penalty (a long lap served on the final lap), compromising his race and forcing him to settle for 8th place.
Varga delivered a steady performance, continuing to show encouraging progress.

Comments

Nicholas Spinelli regains confidence and prepares for upcoming races:
“It was a very positive weekend, even though it ended on a slightly bitter note. We managed to get back on the right track, and I’m really happy to be fighting for the podium again. In Race 1, I finished just 1 second behind the leader, and in Race 2, I felt even better, but I lost a lot of time due to another rider. I was in the fight for the podium, but a penalty dropped me to 8th. The important thing is that we’ve regained our speed, and we’ll head to Austria feeling competitive.”

Tibor Varga continues to show progress:
“These two races in Assen were a significant improvement compared to Le Mans. In Race 1, I improved my lap times by a full second compared to practice. In Race 2, I felt something strange with the tires during the formation lap, and throughout the first lap, I struggled to find my rhythm. Only later did I start to feel good again, but it was too late to recover. I’m disappointed because I had high hopes for Race 2, but I’m confident that we’ll keep making progress in Austria.”