Spanish GP of the MotoE - Granado wins the first race of the 2022 season of the MotoE ahead of Aegerter and Ferrari. At the Jerez circuit the Brazilian rider recovers the leading group and wins his sixth race in MotoE.
At the Jerez de la Frontera circuit, Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) won the first race of the fourth season of the MotoE World Cup. The Brazilian rider crossed the finish line first followed by Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP) and the 2019 world champion, Matteo Ferrari (FELO Gresini Racing).
At the start the fastest was Hector Garzò (Tech3 E-Racing) who takes the lead followed by Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team) and Mattia Casadei (Pons Racing40). Casadei attacks Garzò at the first opportunity and takes the lead at turn 6; the Spaniard tries to resist but has to give uo to Casadei's counter-overtake at the inlet of turn 7. Behind them Ferrari takes fourth place overtaking Granado at turn 9 who counter-attacks to the Italian rider on the straight to the finish line.
In the second lap the three leading riders (Casadei, Garzò and Pons) create a slight gap of 0.785 sec. on the group of pursuers composed of five riders (Granado, Ferrari, Aegerter, Okubo and Torres), but Granado reacts and begins the comeback on the leading group. Torres meanwhile passes Okubo while at the end of the group Alessio Finello falls at turn 13.
In the following braking at turn 6, Garzò attacks Casadei for the leadership of the race while Granado at the end of the second lap completes his comeback on the group of the first three. The third lap thus begins with four riders in the lead and Aegerter and Ferrari behind by less than a second. In this phase of the race the fastest riders on track are Granado and Aegerter who have a pace of 1:48.2.
At the start of the fourth lap Aegerter also managed to rejoin the leading group. Behind them Ferrari struggled to keep pace and passing on the green twice.
In the front, Casadei attacks Garzò again at turn 6. Pons also tries to pass inside the Tech3 team rider but Garzò closes the line and keeps the second position. Immediately after it is Pons' turn to be overtaken, this time by team mate Eric Granado.
On the following lap Garzò tries to recover the lead in the braking of curve 6 but Casadei resists. In the cross of trajectories Garzò has to go wide and is passed by Granado who conquers the second position.
At turn 13, Granado comes out of Casadei's slipstream and overtakes him under braking, taking the lead in the race. Pons also tries to overtake the Italian rider but hits him inside of turn 13 and sends him to the ground, forcing Casadei to retire. To avoid Casadei, Garzò is forced to go wide, losing several positions.
Aegerter and Ferrari gain advantage from the situation and are now close to Miquel Pons. In front Granado gains half a second advantage over his pursuers.
Race direction assigns Pons a long lap penalty in the last lap for the clash with Casadei. The Spaniard fails to execute it and is penalized by 3 seconds at the end of the race.
Eric Granado is the first to cross the finish line, ahead of Aegerter and Pons who becomes eighth after the penalty. Third becomes Matteo Ferrari. Fourth is Garzò who precedes Torres and Okubo.
Surprising seventh place for Alex Escrig at his debut in MotoE with the Tech3 team.
Next appointment tomorrow at 15:30 for Race 2.
| POS. | N. | Nat. | Rider | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 51 |  |
Eric GRANADO | LCR E-Team | 14,36.988 | |
| 2 | 77 |  |
Dominique AEGERTER | Dynavolt Intact GP | 14,37.684 | 0,696 |
| 3 | 11 |  |
Matteo FERRARI | FELO Gresini MotoE | 14,37.993 | 1,005 |
| 4 | 4 |  |
Hector GARZO | Tech3 E-Racing | 14,38.525 | 1,537 |
| 5 | 40 | |
Jordi TORRES | Pons Racing 40 | 14,38.685 | 1,697 |
| 6 | 78 |  |
Hikari OKUBO | Avant Ajo MotoE | 14,39.333 | 2,345 |
| 7 | 17 | |
Alex ESCRIG | Tech 3 E-racing | 14,40.639 | 3,651 |
| 8 | 71 | |
Miquel PONS | LCR E-Team | 14,40.974 | 3,986 |
| 9 | 70 | |
Marc ALCOBA | Zinia Aspar Team | 14,42.263 | 5,275 |
| 10 | 3 |  |
Lukas TULOVIC | WithU GRT RNF MotoE Team | 14,42.322 | 5,334 |
| 11 | 7 | |
Niccolo CANEPA | WithU GRT RNF MotoE Team | 14,42.802 | 5,814 |
| 12 | 21 | |
Kevin ZANNONI | Ongetta Sic58 Squadra Corse | 14,43.499 | 6,511 |
| 13 | 34 | |
Kevin MANFREDI | OCTO PRAMAC MotoE | 14,46.609 | 9,621 |
| 14 | 12 | |
Xavi FORES | OCTO Pramac MotoE | 14,47.837 | 10,849 |
| 15 | 6 | |
Maria HERRERA | Zinia Aspar Team | 14,49.082 | 12,094 |
| 16 | 28 | |
Yeray RUIZ | Avintia Esponsorama Team | 14,59.479 | 22,491 |
| 17 | 27 | |
Mattia CASADEI | Pons Racing 40 | 16,09.250 | 0,000 |
| nd | 72 | |
Alessio FINELLO | FELO Gresini MotoE | 1,59.179 | 0,000 |
Photos: motogp.com
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