The 2024 season of MotoE kicks off this weekend with the Portuguese GP in Portimao. In the second of the two races at the Autodromo do Algarve, the reigning world champion, Mattia Casadei, prevailed.
Race 2 of the MotoE in Portimao – This weekend, the MotoE faces the Portuguese GP, the first round of the 2024 season of the electric MotoGP category, the sixth since its debut and the second with World Championship status.
Thanks to the pole position achieved on Friday, Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) starts at the head of the group. Together with the Brazilian rider, in the front row are Nicholas Spinelli (Tech3 E-Racing) and the reigning world champion, Mattia Casadei (LCR E-Team).
Due to the crash in Race 1 with Jordi Torres, Alessandro Zaccone has to serve a long-lap penalty.
At the start, Spinelli is the fastest and arrives first at turn 1, followed by Garzò, Granado, Casadei and Torres (Openbank Aspar Team). No overtaking among the leaders during the first lap, but as soon as the riders reach the finish straight, they go wild, with Garzò taking the lead and Casadei overtaking his teammate.
In addition to Zaccone's long lap penalty, a double long lap penalty is assigned to the winner of Race 1, Nicholas Spinelli, which comes as a surprise. The Italian rider's fault is for crossing the starting box's white line when he positioned the bike on the grid. Beyond Spinelli's mistake, it remains incomprehensible as in MotoE, where races last 7-8 laps, the same penalties as races that triple the distance are given.
However, Spinelli doesn't serve the two long lap penalties because shortly after the penalty he falls at turn 10 and retires.
The leading group thus becomes composed of five riders: Garzò, Casadei, Granado, Torres, and Zaccone. Behind them, Gutierrez makes up ground by setting record laps. With four laps to go, Casadei takes the lead, while Zaccone pays for his long lap and returns to the track in twelfth place.
Another crossing of the finish line and another overtaking, this time by Garzò against Casadei. In the meantime, Gutierrez closes the gap with the leaders and passes Torres at the braking of turn 1.
There are two laps left until the checkered flag, and Casadei exits very fast from the last corner and on the straight passes Granado. Still, it is Gutierrez who makes the most of the slipstream and overtakes them both, climbing into second position behind Garzò. Meanwhile, Torres and Tulovic are fighting for the fifth place just behind the leading group. It is the last lap and all the leading riders try to make the most of the slipstream on the straight to arrive first at the braking point of Turn 1. Gutierrez comes alongside and passes Garzò, but it is Casadei who enters Turn 1 first while Garzò takes the second position. The following corners see the gap between Casadei and the two pursuers grow and diminish, with Garzò looking for a gap to pass the reigning world champion. Casadei closes all the lines and enters the straight first, until he crosses the finish line first in front of everyone. Garzò and Gutierrez arrive in second and third position, the latter achieving his first podium in MotoE. Granado and Torres close the Top5, while Tulociv, Zannoni, Ferrari, Mantovani and Roccoli also enter the Top10. For Casadei, it is the eighth success in MotoE and the first with the LCR team.
The results of Race 2 of the 2024 MotoE Portuguese GP in Portimao
| POS. | N. | Nat. | Rider | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 40 |  |
Mattia Casadei | LCR E-Team | 12'31.599 | |
| 2 | 4 |  |
Hector Garzo | Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™ | 12'31.665 | 0,066 |
| 3 | 99 | |
Oscar Gutierrez | Axxis-MSI | 12'31.797 | 0,198 |
| 4 | 51 |  |
Eric Granado | LCR E-Team | 12'32.196 | 0,597 |
| 5 | 81 | |
Jordi Torres | Openbank Aspar Team | 12'32.564 | 0,965 |
| 6 | 3 |  |
Lukas Tulovic | Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™ | 12'32.850 | 1,251 |
| 7 | 21 | |
Kevin Zannoni | Openbank Aspar Team | 12'32.942 | 1,343 |
| 8 | 11 | |
Matteo Ferrari | Felo Gresini MotoE™ | 12'33.250 | 1,651 |
| 9 | 9 | |
Andrea Mantovani | Klint Forward Factory Team | 12'34.929 | 3,330 |
| 10 | 55 | |
Massimo Roccoli | Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse | 12'35.532 | 3,933 |
| 11 | 77 | |
Miquel Pons | Axxis-MSI | 12'35.611 | 4,012 |
| 12 | 61 | |
Alessandro Zaccone | Tech3 E-Racing | 12'35.660 | 4,061 |
| 13 | 72 | |
Alessio Finello | Felo Gresini MotoE™ | 12'44.665 | 13,066 |
| 14 | 34 | |
Kevin Manfredi | Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse | 12'45.044 | 13,445 |
| 15 | 7 |  |
Chaz Davies | Aruba Cloud MotoE™ Racing Team | 12'47.381 | 15,782 |
| 16 | 80 | |
Armando Pontone | Aruba Cloud MotoE™ Racing Team | 12'47.384 | 15,785 |
| 17 | 6 | |
Maria Herrera | Klint Forward Factory Team | 12'52.442 | 20,843 |
| 18 | 29 | |
Nicholas Spinelli | Tech3 E-Racing | nc | 0,000 |
MotoE World Championship
The standings of the MotoE 2024
MotoE World Championship
The essential kit of the MotoE 2024
Photos: MotoGP
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