Ferrari opens his account for 2022

Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE™) has prevailed in Race 2 of the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup round at the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley. The inaugural MotoE™ title winner essentially led the last four laps around the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello for his first victory of 2022, while the battle for second was a cliffhanger. Current points leader Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™) officially claimed the place, but only after fastest laps had to be called on to break a tie at the finish line with Marc Alcoba (Openbank Aspar Team).

However, post-race Alcoba was slapped with a three-place penalty for passing under yellow flags, meaning the rookie was denied an electric class podium. That honour went to Miquel Pons instead (LCR E-Team). Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) and Nicolo Canepa (WithU GRT RNF MotoE Team) also infringed, with both riders deducted a place from their original  finishing position. 

A wild opening lap

Kevin Zannoni (Ongetta Sic58 Squadracorse) made the best start and it was he who led the field out of San Donato (Turn 1) for the first time, from Aegerter and Ferrari. Just behind that trio, Mattia Casadei (Pons Racing 40) fell as he exited the corner, while Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE™) was also on the deck later on the opening lap. He would be taken to the medical centre with pain in his right leg, but was thankfully conscious at the site of the incident.

Zannoni continued to lead into the second lap, but Aegerter was swamped as they all slipstreamed towards San Donato and dropped back to sixth. Ferrari had taken over second spot while Miquel Pons was up to third and Marc Alcoba (Openbank Aspar Team) to fourth, a rise of six positions relative to where each of those two had qualified.

Ferrari takes the lead

Ferrari gained one more position – the most important one – when he oubtraked Zannoni at San Donato on Lap 3, as Alcoba rode around the outside Pons just behind them. Niccolo Canepa (WithU GRT RNF MotoE Team) was fifth at that point while Aegerter would soon have a battle for sixth position on his hands with Eric Granado (LCR E-Team).

The top of the main straight was clearly the prime overtaking zone but Zannoni found resistance when he tried to go around his fellow Italian in a bid to reclaim first position at the start of Lap 4. Pons and Canepa, on the other hand, were able to slip underneath Alcoba and push him back to fifth spot.

Of course, San Donato was not the only place where overtaking was possible, and Pons proved that when he moved ahead of Zannoni through the Scarperia/Palagio complex (Turns 10 and 11) on Lap 5. That promoted the Spaniard to second spot, although it also allowed Ferrari to stretch his advantage slightly.

Then Alcoba, who was already back in front of Canepa, passed Zannoni at Bucine (Turn 15). That much was straightforward, but they nearly touched on exit and the Italian had to pick up his bike, which caused him to drop yet more positions. Zannoni was fifth when the crossed the stripe to start the final lap, and eighth by the time they were on their way out of San Donato and back down the hill.

A dead heat for second

In all of that, Aegerter had risen from seventh to fourth, but the previous day’s race winner was not done. He nabbed third from Alcoba as they went through Bucine for the final time, but it would still come down to a drag to the finish line. Ferrari won by 0.529 seconds, but it was astonishingly close in terms of who would be declared runner-up.

Aegerter and Alcoba were separated by 0.001 seconds according to timing, then that was revised to a dead heat for second position and the former was officially declared in that position using fastest lap times as tie-break. For Alcoba, his first MotoE™ podium was taken away from him, and while Pons finished just 0.037 seconds further back in fourth, he ended up among the top three. Canepa crossed fifth before losing a position due to his penalisation, while his teammate Andrea Mantovani takes fourth. Zannoni is fifth ahead of Canepa, with Alcoba relegated to P7, ahead of Granado, Kevin Manfredi (Octo Pramac MotoE™), and Hector Garzo (Tech3 E-Racing).

With a win and a second placing at Mugello, Aegerter’s lead at the top of the World Cup standings is now 28 points over Granado and 30 over Ferrari.

After six hectic races to start the season, it is time for the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup field to take a break before their fourth round of the season at the Motul TT Assen on June 24-26.

MotoE™ Race 2 Top 5:

1. Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE) – 6 laps
2. Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE) + 0.529
3. Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team) + 0.566
4. Andrea Mantovani (WithU GRT RNF MotoE™ Team) + 1.621
5. Kevin Zannoni (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse) + 1.726

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