MOTOGP™: VIÑALES DOMINATES IN MALAYSIA / GP de Malaisie : Viñales tient sa revanche !

AFTER QUALIFYING IN SECOND PLACE FOR THE SHELL MALAYSIA MOTORCYCLE GRAND PRIX, MAVERICK VIÑALES (MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MOTOGP) WENT ON TO WIN THE PENULTIMATE ROUND OF THE 2019 MOTOGPTM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. HE WAS JOINED ON THE SEPANG PODIUM BY MARC MÁRQUEZ (REPSOL HONDA TEAM) AND ANDREA DOVIZIOSO (DUCATI TEAM). THE DAY’S TOP THREE FEATURED THREE DIFFERENT BIKEMAKERS AND THREE DIFFERENT MICHELIN TYRE PAIRINGS.

 

Racing onmedium MICHELIN Power Slicks front and rear, Viñales completed the first of the Malaysian GP’s 20 laps in front, chased by Jack Miller (Pramac Racing), Márquez, Dovizioso, Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) who was first out of Turn 1 after starting from third on the grid. Márquez, meanwhile, had leapt from 11th at lights-out to third place by the end of Lap 1.

Viñales posted a series of quick, consistent laps to pull gradually clear and ultimately cross the line more than three seconds clear of the 2019 champion. It was the factory Yamaha rider’s second success of the season after Assen (Netherlands) and his seventh at MotoGPTM level.

It was on Lap 3 that Márquez (medium/soft tyres front and rear) eased past Miller to take second spot and he held that position all the way to the flag to become the first rider to secure 17 MotoGPTM podiums in one year. He has also broken the record for the highest number of points chalked up in a single season (395), with one race still to come.

Dovizioso (softs front and rear) shrugged off pressure from Rossi (mediums front and rear) to clinch third place.

Fifth was Alex Rins (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR), ahead of Franco Morbidelli and his Petronas Yamaha SRT team-mate Fabio Quartararo who posted a new track lap record to win qualifying after dominating free practice.

Miller, Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) and Joan Mir (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR) rounded out the afternoon’s top 10.

Michelin’s tyres contributed to several new records at Sepang. Free Practice 1 saw Quartararo beat Pedrosa’s effort of 2015 (1m59.053s) to establish a new track lap record (1m59.027s) which he bettered in FP2 (1m58.576s) and then again in qualifying (1m58.303s).

Five other riders succeeded in squeezing beneath the previous benchmark in qualifying.

The fastest race lap was the work of Rossi (1m59.661s) who went a second faster than Lorenzo in 2015. Last but not least, Viñales completed the distance in a time of 40m14.634s, an improvement of 18 seconds over the previous record clocked last year by Márquez.

Four of the six Michelin tyre specs available in Malaysia were selected for the race, with only the front and rear hards not making it onto the grid, despite having been tried in practice.

While Márquez and Dovizioso had made sure of the season’s gold and silver medals before the trip to Sepang, the fight for bronze is still on. Viñales (201 points) is now third in the provisional standings, tailed by Rins (194) and Petrucci (176). The 2019 championship’s final podium order will therefore be settled at the last round in Valencia, Spain, in two weeks’ time.

Everyone at Michelin Motorsport would like to share their condolences with the family, friends and fellow team members of Afridza Munandar who died tragically in the opening Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup race on Saturday.

Next round: Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana, Valencia, Spain (November 14-17)

Maverick Viñales, parti à la faute dans le dernier tour en Australie alors qu’il était en bagarre avec Marc Márquez, triomphe à Sepang.

Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) avait fait part son intention de s’emparer des commandes le plus tôt possible afin de s’en aller et c’est exactement ce qu’il aura fait ce dimanche ! Le Catalan, dont le dernier succès remontait à Assen, décroche ainsi la 24e victoire de sa carrière, sa huitième en MotoGP™ : une belle façon de tirer un trait sur cette chute survenue dans le dernier tour du Grand Prix Pramac d’Australie !

À l’extinction des feux, Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) bondissait de la deuxième ligne pour venir se porter en tête au premier virage. De son côté Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) écartait très légèrement, ce qui permettait à Maverick Viñales et à Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) de s’infiltrer. Mais l’Australien ne mènera la course que le temps de quelques virages, puisque Maverick Viñales venait aussitôt le déloger et au grand désespoir de ses adversaires, ce dernier mettra les voiles. Plus personne ne le reverra, pas même Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda) et pourtant le natif de Cervera pointait déjà au second rang à l’issue du premier tour, lui qui partait… 11e après ce highside de la Q2.

Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) avait fait part son intention de s’emparer des commandes le plus tôt possible afin de s’en aller et c’est exactement ce qu’il aura fait ce dimanche ! Le Catalan, dont le dernier succès remontait à Assen, décroche ainsi la 24e victoire de sa carrière, sa huitième en MotoGP™ : une belle façon de tirer un trait sur cette chute survenue dans le dernier tour du Grand Prix Pramac d’Australie !

À l’extinction des feux, Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) bondissait de la deuxième ligne pour venir se porter en tête au premier virage. De son côté Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) écartait très légèrement, ce qui permettait à Maverick Viñales et à Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) de s’infiltrer. Mais l’Australien ne mènera la course que le temps de quelques virages, puisque Maverick Viñales venait aussitôt le déloger et au grand désespoir de ses adversaires, ce dernier mettra les voiles. Plus personne ne le reverra, pas même Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda) et pourtant le natif de Cervera pointait déjà au second rang à l’issue du premier tour, lui qui partait… 11e après ce highside de la Q2.

Un dépassement qui n’était pas du goût de Jack Miller. Le n°43 s’empressait de le redoubler. Ceci étant Jack Miller allait rapidement se montrer en difficulté avec ses pneus soft. Marc Márquez trouvait l’ouverture sur le pilote Pramac et il ne sera pas le seul ! Andrea Dovizioso, Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Álex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar)… tous allaient parvenir à prendre l’ascendant sur le natif de Townsville, non sans étincelle pour certain. Álex Rins en perdait par exemple un aileron au septième passage. Franco Morbidelli et même Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT), qui sera passé complétement à côté de son départ, finiront par le passer.

Pendant ce temps-là derrière, Johann Zarco (LCR Honda Idemitsu), qui faisait pourtant une honorable course, se faisait littéralement faucher par Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar). Le Français était à ce moment précis dans le sillage de Jack Miller en neuvième position. Cette manœuvre vaudra d’ailleurs au rookie un long lap penalty. Quelques instants plus tôt, Andrea Iannone (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) et Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) s’étaient fait piéger dans des incidents séparés. Au bout du compte, la hiérarchie n’évoluera plus.

Maverick Viñales triomphait avec une avance de trois secondes sur Marc Márquez, qui bat au passage le record de points inscrits en 18 épreuves de MotoGP™ (395). Andrea Dovizioso grimpe de son côté sur la troisième marche du podium. Valentino Rossi devait ainsi se contenter d’une quatrième position, juste devant Álex Rins. Fabio Quartararo tentait de son côté une attaque sur Franco Morbidelli dans les dernières boucles, mais tirait beaucoup trop large. Statu quo donc entre les deux représentants du team Petronas Yamaha SRT.

Jack Miller, Danilo Petrucci et Joan Mir complétaient le Top 10, malgré sa pénalité. Au Championnat, Maverick Viñales repasse devant Álex Rins, autrefois troisième, pour cinq points.

Le Top 10
1. Maverick Viñales - (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP)
2. Marc Márquez - (Repsol Honda Team) - +3.059
3. Andrea Dovizioso - (Ducati Team) +5.611
4. Valentino Rossi - (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) - +5.965
5. Álex Rins - (Team Suzuki Ecstar) - +6.350
6. Franco Morbidelli - (Petronas Yamaha SRT) - +9.993
7. Fabio Quartararo - (Petronas Yamaha SRT) - +12.864
8. Jack Miller - (Pramac Racing) - +17.252
9. Danilo Petrucci - (Ducati Team) - +19.773
10. Joan Mir - (Team Suzuki Ecstar) +22.854

via www.michelinmotorsport.com et www.motogp.com

MOTOGP : Márquez bat Quartararo sur le fil et s’offre son 8éme titre mondial !

Les deux hommes nous auront offert, à Buriram, un remake de Misano… Si ce n’est que l’enjeu était cette fois bien différent.

Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda Team) arrivait à Buriram avec une première balle de match. Il lui suffisait à vrai dire d’inscrire juste deux points de plus comparé à Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team).

Pour l’Espagnol, hors de question toutefois de célébrer ce huitième titre sans une victoire. Et après avoir passé plus de 25 tours sagement installé dans la roue de Fabio Quartararo, le Champion du Monde venait lui porter le coup final. Notre poleman, qui n’avait qu’une hâte : prendre sa revanche de Misano pour inscrire le premier succès français de la catégorie reine en 20 ans, tentera une contre-attaque dans l’ultime virage, mais cette dernière - bien qu’audacieuse - n’allait pas s’avérer payante. Marc Márquez triomphait ainsi un dixième devant le tricolore ; un succès d’être sacré Champion du Monde dès ce 15e rendez-vous !

Quoi qu’il en soit, cette course nous aura tenu en haleine de bout en bout, avec ce premier coup de théâtre avant même que le départ soit donné : Jack Miller (Pramac Racing), qui devait s’élancer de la deuxième ligne, calait sur la grille. L’Australien, opposé à Fabio Quartararo pour le titre de meilleur pilote satellite, était ainsi contraint de partir de la pitlane. Une mésaventure qui lui coûte donc très cher !

À l’entrée du premier virage, le rookie conservait justement les commandes devant Marc Márquez et Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) ; tandis qu’Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) bondissait de la troisième ligne pour venir rapidement se positionner en embuscade du trio. Problème pour l’Italien, ces trois hommes avaient un rythme nettement supérieur au sein et ce dernier se faisait sans tarder distancer, ce qui laissait présager d’ores et déjà l’issue de ce Championnat. Puis ce fut au tour de Maverick de lâcher prise. Derrière Álex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), seulement 10e des qualifications, se défaisait un à un de ses adversaires, de Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) à Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), en passant par Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha ).

Pendant ce temps-là, Marc Márquez se montrait de plus en plus menaçant sur Fabio Quartararo et comme redouté, le natif de Cervera passait à l’offensive à quatre tours du but, néanmoins le Niçois parvenait à lui répondre.

Marc Márquez décidait alors d’appliquer la même stratégie qu’à Misano, en le passant à l’entrée du dernier tour. Fabio Quartararo allait tenter le tout pour le tout dans l’ultime virage en lui faisant les freins, mais écartait très légèrement, ce qui permettait à Marc Márquez de se réinfiltrer. À l’âge de 26 ans et 231 jours, le Catalan devient ainsi le plus jeune octuple Champion du Monde.

Maverick Viñales grimpe sur la troisième marche du podium, qui lui avait échappée 15 jours plus tôt. Andrea Dovizioso et Álex Rins se classaient quant à eux quatrième et cinquième ; tandis que Franco Morbidelli repartait avec la sixième place. Joan Mir terminait pour sa part septième. Valentino Rossi, Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) et Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) complétaient le Top 10.

Le Top 10 :
1. Marc Márquez - (Repsol Honda Team) - 39:36.223
2. Fabio Quartararo - (Petronas Yamaha SRT) - +0.171
3. Maverick Viñales - (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) - +1.380
4. Andrea Dovizioso - (Ducati Team) - +11.218
5. Álex Rins - (Team Suzuki Ecstar) - +11.449
6. Franco Morbidelli - (Petronas Yamaha SRT) - +14.466
7. Joan Mir - (Team Suzuki Ecstar) - +18.729
8. Valentino Rossi - (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) - +19.162
9. Danilo Petrucci - (Ducati Team) - +23.425
10. Takaaki Nakagami - (LCR Honda Idemitsu) - +29.423

Cliquez ici pour accéder aux résultats.

via www.motogp.com

MotoGP ; Reigning Champion vs rookie: Misano goes down to the wire

Marquez and Quartararo went head-to-head at the San Marino GP, Viñales joins the duo on the rostrum

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) was the victor in a GP Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini stunner as the seven-time World Champion went head-to-head with Petronas Yamaha SRT’s Fabio Quartararo, with the battle for the win going down to the last lap. Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) completed the podium, 1.6 back from Marquez.

Viñales was on pole and the Spaniard made it count, keeping the lead heading into Turn 1 as third place Quartararo grabbed P2, with Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) losing positions at the start from second on the grid. Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) found himself in P3 with the sluggish starting Marquez giving himself work to do. But work is exactly what the seven-time Champion did, grabbing third from Morbidelli at Turn 8 as the leading trio throughout the weekend found themselves 1-2-3 on Lap 1.

And sure enough, the three started to stretch away. The gap on Lap 2 was already up to 0.7 over Morbidelli and it was Viñales leading the way, but not for long. Quartararo was right behind his fellow Yamaha rider and getting a good run out of Turn 10, the Petronas grey and blue dived underneath Monster Energy black and blue as a rookie led at Misano. Marquez wasn’t going to waste any time, Lap 3 saw the 93 set the fastest lap of the race as Quartararo started to pull away. Seeing this, Marquez dived under Viñales at Turn 10 on Lap 4 and locked his radar onto a rapid Yamaha at the front, with the third-place Yamaha of Viñales struggling to hold the pace. Further back, Espargaro was frustrating Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and second in the Championship Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) for P5.

Back up front, Quartararo had a 0.8 lead as Viñales slipped to 1.5 seconds back on Lap 6. Quartararo’s advantage wouldn’t stay above half a second for long though, the Repsol Honda reeled the Petronas Yamaha in as the reigning World Champion and MotoGP™ rookie faced off. Unexpectedly, Viñales was now out of range. The gap to Marquez and Quartararo was nearly three seconds – what was going on for one of the weekend’s leading contenders?

In the battle for sixth, Rins was given a long lap penalty shortly after finally dispatching Espargaro’s KTM. But then, it didn’t matter for the Silverstone winner. The Suzuki man was down at Turn 4, while further up the road, Rossi was hitched onto the back of compatriot Morbidelli. At the front, Quartararo was faultless. There was no sign of the 20-year-old buckling under the pressure from a seven-time Champion as the gap between the two remained at 0.2.

The laps ticked by and still there was no change. Marquez was fierce on the brakes coming into Turn 10, but ‘El Diablo’ was a demon at picking the bike up onto the straight. There was simply nothing splitting Quartararo and Marquez, with Viñales at this point now closing the gap ever so slightly to the leaders. Surely it was too late for the Spaniard? Into the final 10 laps, still nothing. No hint of an overtake from Marquez, no signs of a mistake from Quartararo. Lap after lap, the consistency was frightening as Viñales got the gap down to two seconds. There was a sense of inevitability in the air as we headed onto the final five laps, but we’d have to wait until the last lap before Marquez pounced.

Firing it onto the start/finish straight, Marquez had the run on Quartararo and led into Turn 1. Quartararo got a good run out of Turn 2 and Turn 3 though as the rookie bit straight back. Into Turn 4 they went, Quartararo was back at the summit but the back straight and Turn 8 provided a golden passing opportunity. Marquez, late on the brakes, smoke coming off his boot, somehow got it stopped into the left-hander – changing of the guard once more. Now it was Marquez’ to lose. No way through for Quartararo at Turn 10, but the Yamaha got a good run down through Turn 11 and 12. The Frenchman was right behind Marquez as the tight left of Turn 14 approached. Marquez went defensive and was slow mid-corner. Quartararo tried to cut back but there was no way through, the Yamaha almost touching the rear wheel of Marquez. Subsequently, Quartararo had to sit up, which meant it was game over. Marquez returned to winning ways after two consecutive P2s to win on enemy territory, overtaking Mike Hailwood’s Grand Prix win record in the process - 77 now his tally. 

Quartararo was understandably disappointed after such a titanic performance, but the rookie’s time will come. Viñales didn’t quite have enough on Sunday afternoon for Marquez or Quartararo, but a fifth podium of the season continues his consistent form of late to edge clear of teammate Rossi in the Championship. Speaking of ‘The Doctor’, it wasn’t a home GP podium Rossi would have been looking for, but a great fight with close mate Morbidelli and a third consecutive P4 shows signs the nine-time World Champion isn’t far away from returning to the rostrum. For Morbidelli, a strong and consistent weekend ends with a fourth P5 of the year for the Italian, who took the chequered flag just a tenth off Rossi. A nice way to celebrate his 100th Grand Prix race, while all four Yamahas inside the top five at Misano is promising for the Iwata factory.

Dovizioso could do no more than sixth at the venue he won at last season, he now sits 93 points adrift of Marquez as Ducati suffer on home soil. On the other hand, Espargaro’s P7 was just reward for KTM’s continued hard work as the Austrian factory enjoy a very successful weekend at the San Marino GP. Upon his return from injury, Joan Mir was the sole Team Suzuki Ecstar finisher in P8, with Pramac Racing’s Jack Miller recovering from P16 on the grid to grab ninth ahead of fellow GP19 rider Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) in P10.

MotoGP™ 

✔@MotoGP

Victory number seven of 2019 for @marcmarquez93! #SanMarinoGP

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Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol), teammate Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), Michele Pirro (Ducati Team) and Pramac Racing’s Francesco Bagnaia crashed out of the race – riders ok.

Marquez vs Quartararo: something we should start getting used to as Misano is just the first installment of what could become one of the all-time great rivalries. For now, Marquez has the bragging rights and the number 93 heads to his home Grand Prix at MotorLand Aragon with 93 points over his rivals. Can anyone beat Marquez on Spanish soil next week? Quartararo will be fired up to do just that.

Top 10:
1. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team)
2. Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) + 0.903
3. Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) + 1.636
4. Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) + 12.660
5. Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) + 12.774
6. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) + 13.774
7. Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 20.050
8. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 22.512
9. Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) + 26.554
10. Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) + 31.456

via www.motogp.com

MotoE World Cup ; Ferrari doubles up at Misano

Matteo Ferrari claimed his first MotoE™ victory as the opening race at Misano saw several slices of big drama

Home rider Matteo Ferrari (Trentino Gresini MotoE) claimed a magnificent maiden FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup victory after a hugely dramatic Race 1 at the GP Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini. The Italian held off second-place Hector Garzo (Tech 3 E-Racing) and third place Xavier Simeon (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) on the final lap to take the Cup standings lead.

Polesitter Alex de Angelis (Octo Pramac MotoE) got the holeshot he would have been looking for as Ferrari and Simeon slotted in behind the race leader on the opening lap. After crashing in E-Pole, Cup leader Mike Di Meglio (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) made a good start from the back of the grid to get up to P14, but his Energica Ego Corsa ran into issues on Lap 1 – the first piece of drama, and a big one for the overall standings.

Di Meglio got going again but his race ended on Lap 2 after further bike trouble, and at Turn 6 on Lap 2 – the second piece of drama. Niki Tuuli (Ajo MotoE) was up the inside of Mattia Casadei (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse) but with the door closing, the Finnish rider crashed and took Casadei with him, with Casadei then collecting the luckless Bradley Smith (One Energy Racing) as the man second in the Cup crashed. The British rider was able to get going again, albeit at the back of the pack.

MotoGP™ 

✔@MotoGP

Three riders down on lap two! @NikiTuuli, @BradleySmith38 and Mattia Casadei tangle at Quercia! #SanMarinoGP

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With leading contenders either out or scoring little points, the fight was on at the front to not only claim victory, but to stake a claim in the overall standings. The dust settled and it was de Angelis still leading the way from Simeon and Ferrari, with Garzo getting passed by Eric Granado (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) before the Brazilian then crashed at Turn 14, having made a sensational start from P16.

What more could happen? Well, something was about to. De Angelis had slipped to P3 and with four laps to go, the Sammarinese rider highsided out of contention on the exit of Turn 5 – rider ok. This left a three-way fight at the front between Ferrari – who was now your race leader – Simeon and Garzo. Nothing split the trio in the latter stages and heading onto the last lap, 0.3 covered them. However, Ferrari rode a blinder to hold off the competition, with Garzo ducking under Simeon at the fast Turn 11. An electric powered Ferrari was unstoppable though as he took victory – and the Cup standings lead.

MotoGP™ 

✔@MotoGP

Now the home favourite is down! @AlexDeAngelis15 walks away after a dramatic highside! #SanMarinoGP

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0.5 would split the podium as Garzo beat Simeon on the last lap, with Jesko Raffin (Dynavolt Intact GP) 3.1 off the win in P4 to pick up his best MotoE™ result. LCR E-Team’s Niccolo Canepa was battling Raffin to the flag to also claim his best finish of the season.

After that breathless race, Ferrari leads Simeon in the standings by two points, with the top duo, Di Meglio and Smith covered by just nine points. The best part? We get to watch another MotoE™ race on Sunday – tune in for Race 2 at 10:05 local time (GMT+2).

MotoGP™ 

✔@MotoGP

A special moment for @FerrariMatteo11!

The new rider to beat in #MotoE! #SanMarinoGP

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Top 10:
1. Matteo Ferrari (Trentino Gresini MotoE)
2. Hector Garzo (Tech 3 E-Racing) + 0.187
3. Xavier Simeon (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) + 0.590
4. Jesko Raffin (Dynavolt Intact GP) + 3.111
5. Niccolo Canepa (LCR E-Team) + 3.284
6. Maria Herrera (OpenBank Angel Nieto Team) + 6.516
7. Lorenzo Savadori (Trentino Gresini MotoE) + 6.883
8. Nico Terol (OpenBank Angel Nieto Team) + 7.276
9. Sete Gibernau (Join Contract Pons 40) + 14.576
10. Josh Hook (Octo Pramac MotoE) + 15.568

Italian claims victory in Race 2 from Garzo and Casadei as the Cup standings take another twist

After claiming victory in Race 1, home rider Matteo Ferrari (Trentino Gresini MotoE) takes a maximum 50 points away from the GP Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini after gloriously picking up a Race 2 win on Sunday morning. The Italian beat Tech 3 E-Racing’s Hector Garzo by 2.6 seconds as Mattia Casadei (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse) snatched a podium at the final corner.

After a hugely dramatic opening race of the weekend on Saturday, Sunday morning saw more drama unfold as Cup title contender and Race 1 podium finisher Xavier Simeon (Avinitia Esponsorama Racing) highsided out of contention on the exit of Turn 2. Several riders had to take avoiding action, including One Energy Racing’s Bradley Smith and Mike Di Meglio (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) as polesitter Alex de Angelis (Octo Pramac MotoE) once again got the holeshot.

MotoGP™ 

✔@MotoGP

Back-to-back victories! @FerrariMatteo11 is the first repeat winner in the FIM Enel #MotoE World Cup! #SanMarinoGP

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Ferrari was right in contention as he hooked himself onto the tail of de Angelis, with Maria Herrera (OpenBank Angel Nieto Team) making headway on the opening lap to grab P3. Ferrari then took the lead at Turn 2 on Lap 2 as the top six were separated by just 1.3. However, Lap 3 saw de Angelis have a big moment coming up the hill on the exit of Turn 8 – breathing space for Ferrari.

Edging away from the competition, it soon became a battle for second. But, just like he did on Saturday, de Angelis’ home Grand Prix ended with a crash – a fast one at Turn 13, rider ok. With Ferrari up the road, the race was now for the remaining podium spots. Garzo, Casadei, Canepa and Herrera all in that scrap, with Smith, Eric Granado (Avinita Esponsorama Racing) and Jesko Raffin (Dynavolt Intact GP) just off the back in a battle for sixth.

MotoGP™ 

✔@MotoGP

What a shame for the home favourite! @AlexDeAngelis15 crashes out at turn 13! #SanMarinoGP

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It all came down to the last lap – and the last sector. Track limits were exceeded by Garzo at the fast Turn 11 kink as the riders headed into the stadium complex for the final time, with Canepa trying to make a move stick on Garzo for P2 at Turn 14. The latter held the outside led and, subsequently, had the inside for Turn 15. Then, fourth place Casadei pounced. The Italian ducked underneath Canepa at the final corner and as Ferrari took win number two of the weekend, Garzo and Casadei secured the remaining podium spots, with Canepa left frustrated having missed out by just 0.055. Herrera produced a fine ride to pick up her best rest of the season in fifth.

In that battle for sixth, Granado prevailed. Raffin also got the better of title hopeful Smith as the British rider picked up P8. Nico Terol (OpenBank Angel Nieto Team) claimed his second top 10 of the weekend in P9, with former title leader Di Meglio closing out the top 10 having suffered a bike issue in Race 1.

The FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup takes another twist, with Ferrari now taking a healthy 19-point lead in the standings with just two races remaining. Valencia is next up for the MotoE™ riders as we eagerly await a title showdown in November.

Top 10:
1. Matteo Ferrari (Trentino Gresini MotoE)
2. Hector Garzo (Tech 3 E-Racing) + 2.687
3. Mattia Casadei (Ongetta SIC58 Squdra Corse) + 2.844
4. Niccolo Canepa (LCR E-Team) + 2.899
5. Maria Herrera (OpenBank Angel Nieto Team) + 3.022
6. Eric Granado (Avinita Esponsorama Racing) + 5.448
7. Jesko Raffin (Dynavolt Intact GP) + 5.740
8. Bradley Smith (One Energy Racing) + 7.013
9. Nico Terol (OpenBank Angel Nieto Team) + 8.072
10. Mike Di Meglio (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) + 10.405

via www.motogp.com