Zannoni doubles up in an intense all-Italian final lap duel
The Italian takes the spoils in the first showdown at Mugello after a stunning battle with Casadei as Granado just grabs third.
In a thrilling FIM Enel MotoE™ World Championship Race 2, that was in fact the first MotoE™ race of the day after the earlier was postponed, Kevin Zannoni (Openbank Aspar Team) stormed to victory in front of his home crowd to double his victory tally. Zannoni held on after a stunning last lap duel with reigning champion and nearest championship rival Mattia Casadei (LCR E-Team). Claiming second spot at the chequered flag, Casadei returned to the podium after difficult outings in Barcelona. Behind, Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) took third by just 0.011s after taking the spoils in a multiple-rider fight for the final podium place.
Once the lights went out, Alessandro Zaccone (Tech3 E-Racing) initially got the early jump before Zannoni powered past from fifth to lead into Turn 1. Casadei soon showed his hand as the #40 surged to the lead on lap three, with a daring move into San Donato. Setting a hot pace, Casadei, Zannoni and Nicholas Spinelli (Tech3 E-Racing) began to pull away from the pack, before Spinelli suddenly was forced into pulling off a miraculous save. Tucking the front through Materassi, Spinelli somehow wrestled his MotoE™ machine upright, continuing, albeit now down in fifth.
As the top two stretched their gap even further, Granado in third had his hands full with the battle for third involving eight riders at one point.
Into the final lap and Casadei took Turn 1 – San Donato – as his time to shine. Diving to the inside, he was ahead but an apex went begging, affording Zannoni just enough room to sneak back through on Casadei’s inside with a classic switchback. Zannoni then, just as he did in Barcelona, put together a perfect final lap. Cool, calm and collected under pressure, MotoE™’s newest race winner then crowned himself as MotoE™’s newest back-to-winner.
But as the applause began to roll in for victor Zannoni, all eyes turned to an incredible drag race to the line. Clanging elbows as the line came into view, Granado and veteran Massimo Roccoli (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse) were locked in a photo finish, with the Brazilian just beating Roccoli to the line. Despite the disappointment of missing the podium, fourth is Roccoli’s best result in MotoE™.
Behind, the riders came thick and fast, with 12th placed Jordi Torres less than 2.4 seconds behind Granado in third. Andrea Mantovani (KILNT Forward Factory Team) completed the top five with polesitter Alessandro Zaccone (Tech3 E-Racing) sixth, just ahead of brighter performance from Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE) in seventh. Further down the order, third in the championship Oscar Gutierrez (Axxis-MSI) could only manage 10th, just behind the fading Spinelli in ninth.
For more info checkout our dedicated MotoE News page
Or visit the official MotoGP website motogp.com
©Words/Images are from official press release posted courtesy of www.motogp.com
