Alessandro Zaccone started the last round of the MotoE World Cup as leader of the provisional standings, he went through a high-side and the clash with another rider who hit him while he was on the ground, until he finished it almost uninjuried from the scaring accident. Lastly, he announced the move to Moto2 with Gresini in 2022.
Zaccone arrived at the last event of the MotoE in Misano after having had an exceptional season; so much was negative and unlucky that of last year, so much was this positive. Zaccone made his debut in MotoE with the Gresini team in 2020, but even before the start of the championship, he injured his knee in the tests at Jerez. The most immediate consequence was giving up the first GP and racing injured for the first part of the season. Nevertheless, such a difficult season showed something of Zaccone's talent, such as the comeback and fifth place in the Emilia Romagna GP at Misano.
The move of the Italian rider to the OCTO Pramac team coincided with a total change in performance for Zaccone who was one of the fastest riders in the MotoE since the winter tests.
For Zaccone the San Marino GP was the home race; the Italian rider lives not far from the Misano circuit which he knows perfectly. This, combined with the performance and determination that Zaccone had shown throughout the year, made him the favorite for the final victory even if the minimum advantage over his opponents promised an uncertain fight until the last corner.
Unfortunately this was not the case: Zaccone did an excellent qualifying, achieving the third laptime and conquering the front row but at the start of the first race on Saturday, an accident at turn three forced him to retire and skip the Sunday race. Zero points from two races and the first position in the provisional standings which becomes the fifth in the final one. These are the words of Zaccone at the end of the season.
How are you after the crash in Race one at Misano?
“I did a high-side in turn three and Okubo couldn't help but hit me. He has no faults, these are things that happen. I reported the fracture of two vertebrae, a fracture in the pelvis and the detachment of an ala sacralis. Given the dynamics of the accident, I was very lucky. Now I have to rest for thirty days and then I can start rehabilitation”.
You were leading the championship from the first race until the eve of the last round, the San Marino GP. What judgment do you give of your season in MotoE?
“I certainly thought I would finish this championship differently after being in the lead from the first race. We finished 20 points behind the championship winner; without the crash and injury in race one we would have been able to fight until the last corner. It's not nice to have finished the championship like this, but we were always at top on all tracks, apart from some problems in Austria. I'm happy with the season I have done. I started with no expectations and arrived at the last race as favorite. It was a wonderful season”.
What has changed this year compared to 2020 when you struggled a lot?
“Compared to last year I changed team, I started from scratch compared to 2020 where everything went wrong. Last year I started with an injury, I had to skip the tests and the first race; we chased all season. After a start like that, I was in a hurry to recover, I wanted to prove my worth but then in the end I never managed to get right with the bike. Surely the new fork brought by Andreani for 2021 allowed me to push more and it helped me a lot also because I have an aggressive style, I like to brake hard and in that the new material has helped me a lot. The new Michelin tire was also much more thrustworthy and intuitive; it allowed me to drift a lot, almost like a Moto2. Coming from the CEV Moto2, this allowed me to feel much more confident”.
Next year you will move to Moto2, you are the third rider to move from MotoE to Moto2, in your opinion MotoE is it a good class to draw attention and find a place in the world championship?
“Yes, there are now three of us who have moved from MotoE to Moto2. MotoE it is a category of the world championship and therefore it is easier to enter from there than from an external championship such as the CEV, despite the fact that in the CEV bikes are more similar to Moto2.
However, MotoE is a championship that people like and is growing, riders have eyes on them. And then, when you are fast and consistent, you show that you can be fast in other categories too; this I think is the most important element to attract the attention of the team managers. And in any case, it is not an easy category, the bikes are all the same, the rider's ability to be fast and to know how to tune the bike stands out even more. I think the Moto2 teams will look more and more to MotoE".
MotoE World Cup 2021
The final standings
What do you think of the change of regulation of the MotoE for next year, do you think two races per round is the best solution?
“I like the new format of MotoE 2022. Before, in every weekend, there were few laps available, so I think having two races in each round is important, it makes everything more interesting. The rounds are few and doing a championship out of seven races is not the best, while with double races, even if you finish a race without points, you have the opportunity to recover. I think it was the right choice, with 14 races it makes the championship longer and more intense. The new qualifying formula with Q1 and Q2 is also an improvement; the single lap of the EPole wea very exciting, but believe me, it was not easy at all”.
MotoE World Cup 2022
The new format: two races per round and qualifying in MotoGP-style
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