Matteo Ferrari made it a two-for-two performance by winning MotoE World Championship Race Two Saturday at TT Circuit Assen, in The Netherlands.

Riding his Felo Gresini Ducati electric racebike, the Italian won the seven-lap race by just 0.078 second over Openbank Aspar Team’s Jordi Torres.

HP Pons Los40 rider Mattia Casadei finished third.

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Race 2: Ferrari fends off Torres to complete fabulous double at Assen

The Italian rides the wave all the way into summer break, now just eight points off Torres in the standings

After a Race 1 that went almost to the wire, Race 2 most definitely did for the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Championship at the TT Circuit Assen. But once again, Jordi Torres (Openbank Aspar Team) just couldn’t quite get the better of Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE™). The Italian completed the double in style to move within eight points of Torres as the Spaniard was forced to settle for second, with Mattia Casadei (HP Pons Los40) slicing through from P10 to complete the rostrum.

Torres took the holeshot, with Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) slotting into second initially and Ferrari third, and the trio were separated by absolutely nothing as Casadei got to work behind moving up into fourth. Also on the move was Andrea Mantovani (RNF MotoE™ Team) as he got his elbows out to get into the fight for fifth, taking on Randy Krummenacher (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™) and Kevin Zannoni (Ongetta SIC59 Squadra Corse).

There was then drama at the front as Granado tagged the back of Ferrari, the Brazilian staying on and not losing the position but losing some time as the duel ahead then pulled a gap. And that gap stayed there as the race became a two-rider showdown for the win.

What would turn out to be the winning overtake came with four to go as Ferrari pulled an absolute stunner to sweep around Torres and into the lead at Hoge Heide, with the Spaniard then left with the same challenge as Race 1: stay with him. This time around, that he did… on the final lap getting to within possible striking distance. But not without some serious risk, and Torres instead made it a straight shot towards the line, just losing out by 0.078 – and taking those valuable 20 points as Ferrari once again proved impeccably quick with his third win of the year.

Casadei also most definitely impressed, up seven positions from his grid slot and completing the podium. Mantovani suffered a late crash out of podium contention, and Granado took fourth one place ahead of teammate Miquel Pons.

Pons managed to pip Zannoni by the flag, with Alessandro Zaccone (Tech 3 E-Racing) taking P7. Nicholas Spinelli (HP Pons Los40) took eighth ahead of a tough finish for Krummenacher, with Kevin Manfredi (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse) beating Hector Garzo (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™) to the final place in the top ten.

That’s a wrap on the first half of the season… and it’s next stop the British GP as the electric field take on Silverstone for the very first time. Torres heads the table by only eight points now… so make sure to come back for more!

Alonso Lopez claimed pole position during Moto2 qualifying Saturday at TT Circuit Assen, in The Netherlands. Riding his Beta Tools Speed Up Boscoscuro, Lopez turned a 1:36.247 to lead the field of 28 riders.

Lopez outpaced Brit Jake Dixon, who did a second-best 1:36.256 on his Inde GASGAS Aspar Team Kalex, and Japanese star Ai Ogura, who did a third-fastest 1:36.301 on his Idemitsu Honda Team Asia Kalex.

Americans Joe Roberts (1:37.045) and Sean Dylan Kelly (1:37.517) qualified 14th and 22nd, respectively.

Matteo Ferrari won FIM MotoE World Championship Race One Saturday at TT Circuit Assen, in The Netherlands. Riding his Felo Gresini Ducati electric racebike, the Italian won the seven-lap race by 0.676 second over Openbank Aspar Team’s Jordi Torres. Dynavolt Intact GP’s Randy Krummenacher was a close third.

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Race 1: Ferrari outpaces Torres as Krummenacher homes in

The Italian puts in an impressive first race to escape the Championship leader, with Torres just able to hold off Krummenacher

Saturday, 24 June 2023

Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE™) is back on a roll. The Italian took the lead early on in Race 1 at the TT Circuit Assen and then pushed at the front to hold off points leader Jordi Torres (Openbank Aspar Team), with Torres then left to contend with a charging Randy Krummenacher (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™). But the Spaniard was able to just stay ahead, taking another valuable 20 points as Ferrari cut the gap to just 13.

Torres took the holeshot but Ferrari didn’t wait long to attack, slicing through early on Lap 1. From there Torres had his hands full to try and stick with him, and initially he did as the two started to pull away.

The fight for third was Krummenacher vs Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) vs Mattia Casadei (HP Pons Los40) early on, with Andrea Mantovani (RNF MotoE™ Team) then able to join the party. With the chopping and changing, Ferrari and Torres were able to eke out a lead, and then Ferrari put the hammer down at the front even further.

Able to pull out just under a second, the Italian then kept it pitch perfect to the flag to take another convincing win. In the fight for second, Krummenacher, free of the fight behind, began to home in on Torres. The Swiss rider got close but it wasn’t quite close enough to mount a last lap attack, so the Spaniard takes those valuable 20 points – and Krummenacher nevertheless impresses with another rookie podium.

Casadei held onto fourth as the fight for fifth became a duel, with Mantovani able to fend off Granado. A huge group battle behind decid seventh, and that just went the way of Hector Garzo (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™), who pipped Tito Rabat (Prettl Pramac MotoE™) at the line.

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Bezzecchi denies Bagnaia to become 13th different polesitter in a row at Assen

The number 72 is back in the game, denying Bagnaia as Marini completes the front row, Quartararo has his best qualifying of the year – and Martin takes P10

Saturday, 24 June 2023

Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) set a stunning new lap record to take pole at the Motul TT Assen, becoming the 13th different polesitter in a row at the track in the process. And it’s lucky for some! His 1’31.472 was enough to pip reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) by just 0.061 though, with Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) completing an all-Italian front row. And only just, as the number 10 denies Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) by an infinitesimal 0.041. Still, it’s the Frenchman’s best qualifying of the season so far as the grid at Assen sets us up for a stunner!

Q1: Zarco and Oliveira shine, Bastianini and Marquez clash

A superstar train rolled out for Q1 with Zarco at its head, Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) tucked in behind and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) shadowing both. As they crossed the line Zarco went top and Morbidelli second, but Marquez slotted into fourth behind Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), who’d also been just behind the train.

Zarco then pulled off line and Morbidelli followed, and Marquez headed back into the pits as Bastianini lit up the timing screens with some red sectors. The Italian lost out in the final part of the lap though – and then the lap was also cancelled for track limits. By this point, Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) was leading the way, but he was then deposed by Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team). Zarco then put in another flying lap to take over – and by three and a half tenths in a show of some serious speed form the Frenchman.

Pitlane went quiet as the field prepared to another crack at it, and this time Marquez tucked in behind Bastianini – but early on the number 23 had to call time on the lap early after saving a big moment. And time was running out. Meanwhile, Oliveira was setting red sectors again as Di Giannantonio took over in second… with everything very much undecided. But then came the drama.

As Bastianini dropped anchor, Marquez slowed up too, and then the two collided as the Repsol Honda hit the back of the Ducati rider. The number 93 was out, and Bastianini wasn’t going to have time for another lap either.

That left Zarco unthreatened at the top, with Oliveira taking the second spot in Q2.

Q2

After a flurry of fast laps on the first runs, the main drama – although a harmless crash – was Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) going down at Turn 5. That left him with without a time as Bezzecchi and Bagnaia headed the table for the moment, with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) third.

The first rider to attack on a second shot at it was Quartararo, and the Frenchman shot onto provisional pole by just over a tenth. This was it now, with the timing screens awash with red sectors as the 12 riders in Q2 all went into full attack mode.

The first to hit back was Bezzecchi as he pulled out three tenths and set a new lap record, and then Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) split the two. Next up Bagnaia crossed the line with Marini for close company and they slotted into second and third, but a crash for Marini soon after put paid to another lap for the number 10 – and brought out the Yellow Flags. Rider perfectly fine and tt could well have protected his front row too. An incident with mixed consequences.

After that, there was one shot left for some, but no one could make it count. Bagnaia was down on Bezzecchi and that was that, the number 72 makes a little slice of history as the 13th different rider to start from pole over the last 13 Grands Prix at the TT Circuit Assen!

THE GRID(S)

It’s an all-Italian front row as Bezzecchi heads Bagnaia and Marini, with Quartararo just missing out on the front row by 0.041. Still, it’s exactly what the 2021 Champion ordered so far at Assen – entry to Q2 and a grid position quite a lot further forward. He has Binder for company in P5, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) completing Row 2.

Viñales, arguably the rider with the best record at Assen, was through to Q2 too and he’ll start P7, with Zarco rescuing a third row start in P8 after a tougher Friday. Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) completes that row.

So where’s Martin? The early crash for the most recent winner on the grid seemed to cost him dear as he only manages tenth, with work to do when the lights go out. Oliveira takes P11, with Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) unlikely, despite the incredible starts for the KTMs of late, to be in holeshot contention this weekend as he lines up 12th. The Australian will be looking for a lot more once we’re racing!