More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

The best MotoE™ race ever? Aegerter, Granado and Casadei fight to the wire

0.081 decides the podium as the first race at the Cathedral delivers a thriller

Saturday, 25 June 2022

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, the racing in the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup is truly some of the best. That’s never been more true than of Race 1 at the TT Circuit Assen, with just 0.081 covering the podium as Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™), Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) and Mattia Casadei (Pons Racing 40) took the show to the wire, with the Swiss rider coming out on top – just. Granado took second out of the final chicane by only 0.009, with Casadei losing out after a late attack.

Aegerter had qualified on pole but the battle for the lead was initially between Granado and Casadei, who went side-by-side into the first corner. However, both ran wide exiting Haarbocht and Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE™) emerged in the lead, ahead of Aegerter and Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team). Granado and Casadei slotted into fourth and fifth, but both were back ahead of Pons within a lap.

Granado soon proved the master of the fast Ramshoek left-hander, overtaking Aegerter there on Lap 3 just when it looked like Ferrari might be starting to creep away, then passing the 2019 World Cup winner himself another lap later again. Ferrari reclaimed the lead from the Brazilian as they ran through the Ossebroeken section on Lap 5, but Granado got back in front later that lap at Stekkenwal.

Meanwhile, a big battle had broken out for third between Aegerter, Casadei, and Pons, but the current World Cup leader had shaken those off when he launched an attack on Ferrari. He squeezed past the Gresini rider into the Geert Timmer Chicane on Lap 6, and Ferrari dropped towards the back of the leading pack when he had two big wobbles as he tried to take second position back at the start of Lap 7, with Casadei inheriting third position.

Aegerter then got underneath Granado at Strubben, but that gave them a slow entry down the back straight and Casadei stormed by both  on the run into the Ruskenhoek, before Granado then re-passed Aegerter. The Swiss rider snatched the spot back just a few corners later at the Geert Timmer Chicane though, and making a little contact as he did so and that losing Granado a handful of tenths.

Despite being back in the runner-up position with a lap to go and a World Cup lead to protect, Aegerter didn’t seem in the mood to simply collect points. He dived past Casadei at Strubben but could not make the move stick and very nearly got chucked off his Energica Ego Corsa when he opened up the throttle again. Still, the Swiss rider tried again at Ramshoek near the end of the lap, but it all came down to the final chicane.

Granado was back on their tail as Aegerter went for the lead just ahead, and the Swiss rider just about shut the door on Casadei to secure the win. Granado needed no second invitation to try his own attack, blasting just past the Italian to grab second by mere thousadnths.

After some early heroics and then excellent damage limitation, Ferrari took fourth ahead of Hector Garzo (Tech3 E-Racing) in fifth, just 0.960 seconds behind the winner. Marco Alcoba (Openbank Aspar Team) had been in the leading group on the last lap but crashed at high speed at the Ramshoek, with an x-ray clearing him of a fractured left elbow but another medical review coming on Sunday.

Pons eventually came through to finish sixth, ahead of Niccolo Canepa (WithU GRT RNF MotoE™ Team), Bradley Smith (WithU GRT RNF MotoE™ Team), Jordi Torres (Pons Racing 40), and Kevin Zannoni (Ongetta Sic58 Squadracorse).

After a breathtaking first showdown of the weekend, Aegerter has increased his margin to 34 points, with Granado second and Ferrari another eight points behind in third. What will happen in Race 2? Tune in at 15:30 (GMT +2) on Sunday to find out!

Dominique Aegerter: “The race was exciting. My start wasn’t good and I fall from pole position a little bit backwards. I was always around second or third. I knew that it was just 8 laps, so you need to stay in the front, close to the first position or in first. We had amazing battles with Casadei, Ferrari and Granado. It wasn’t easy, there were some crazy overtakes, but we need to take some risks to overtake each other and at the end it was a very good overtake in the final chicane to take the victory. Big thanks to the Dynavolt Intact MotoE Team, that made again a good bike to fight for the podium and for the victory. Tomorrow we have another chance to extend my lead in the Championship.”

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Bagnaia beats Quartararo to pole to reignite the title fight at Assen

Four riders broke the old lap record at the Motul TT Assen, but it’s Bagnaia fastest of all on Saturday

Saturday, 25 June 2022

Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) has a new all-time lap record to add to his growing collection. The number 63 shaved three tenths off the old in setting the new, and after an eventful Q2 he has key rival – and 2021 Assen winner – Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) alongside him on the grid for the Motul TT Assen. The first rider through the barrier of the old lap record, Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), completes the front row.

Q1

It was Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and KTM teammate Brad Binder on to move through after the first runs, with some drama for Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) as he crawled to a halt at pit exit with an issue. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) then had a tip off at Turn 5, but got back on track to continue.

With a minute and a half left on the clock, Brad Binder turned the tables on his teammate to sit top and by just 0.065. Mir couldn’t quite find enough and ended the session fourth, with Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) pipping the 2020 Champion to line up in P13.

Q2

Martin was on provisional pole after the first flurry, setting a new lap record ahead of Quartararo in second. But Bagnaia headed out and immediately took over by a couple of tenths, laying down the gauntlet once again. Quartararo closed in, but remained second.

Drama then hit for Martin as the number 89 slid out at Turn 5, a slow one but putting a dent in his session – and bring out yellow flags too, cancelling laps for Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar). After a crash for Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) the same complication hit for a few more riders, and then a different one for Quartararo.

On his final attempt the Frenchman had an out-the-seat moment at Turn 5, just able to stay on board but the lap gone. That meant it would be Bagnaia on pole, with fellow challengers unable to improve either as a combination of yellow flags and the simple fact the Italian had scorched in a new lap record keeping him a nice tenth clear on pole.

The Grid

Bagnaia vs Quartararo vs Martin, the latter within only 0.088 of the reigning Champion, makes for a tantalising front row for the Motul TT Assen.

Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) continued his impressive rookie speed with fourth place, under the lap record and having also gone straight through to Q2, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) looking for more from fifth. Miller lines up sixth, and there was no harm done in his slow off – but there was a little after, as the Ducati rider was slow on line, disturbed Viñales and was given a Long Lap for the race given it’s the second similar incident this season.

Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) had a more under the radar session but as ever showed some good form with seventh, ahead of Oliveira, Rins and Binder. All three will want more from the race but after a tough run of qualifying in 2022 so far for KTM – usually remedied on race day with some serious comebacks – into Q2 and in the top 10 is solid Saturday step.

Viñales, after some serious speed in Free Practice, will have to start 11th, and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) lines up in P12.

Mir and Bastianini will be two riders especially eager to charge through once the lights go out, with an especially interesting grid awaiting us on Sunday at the Motul TT Assen. Can Pecco start a comeback before the summer break? Will Quartararo put in another masterclass? Or can someone else take to the top step at the Cathedral? We’ll find out from 14:00 (GMT +2)!

Francesco Bagnaia: “I’m very happy because we did a great step in front from this morning. I didn’t feel good this morning so we did a step in front. From the start of FP4, I felt better, and to do the pole position in a track like this that for sure it’s not the best for our bike, so I’m very happy.”