After heartbreak on race day at Jerez for Eric Granado, the Brazilian bounced back quickly to top Day 1 of MotoE World Cup action at Le Mans, 0.136 ahead of 2020 Cup winner Jordi Torres and only half a tenth off the very same Torres’ pole lap at the venue last year.
Lukas Tulovic (Tech3 E-Racing) completed the top three, just 0.024 off second, to get back in the fight at the front after his bad luck in Round 1.
The day was dry for MotoE as the sessions were timed pretty perfectly for the weather, and in FP1 it was Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP) who took to the top to pip Granado by just 0.046. The session was a busy one with the skies seemingly unpredictable this weekend and the field looking to maximise track time, so it was green light on, everyone file out.
Tulovic started the day as he would end it, also in third in the morning, and Alessandro Zaccone (Octo Pramac MotoE) had similar consistency fresh from his first win. The Italian was fourth in the morning and ended the day in fourth overall from his FP2 laptime, 0.019 off Tulovic.
Torres completed the top five in FP1 and moved up to take over in second overall, with Aegerter the key change by the end of the day. The Swiss rider went from quickest out the blocks to fifth overall and will be looking for more on Saturday, although the gap behind the number 77 is bigger than that ahead.
Fermin Aldeguer (Openbank Aspar Team) was sixth quickest overall and took the top rookie honours on Friday, two tenths exactly ahead of next debutant Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team).
Another fresh face in the form of Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE) slotted into eighth, just 0.049 off Pons, with Mattia Casadei (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse) in ninth by a similarly small margin. Yonny Hernandez (Octo Pramac MotoE) completes the top ten, a tiny 0.022 in further arrears.
One key name missing from that list is that of 2019 Cup winner Matteo Ferrari (Indonesian E-Racing Gresini MotoE). The Italian had some technical troubles on Day 1 and was in P13 by the finish line on Friday; another veteran looking to move forward on Saturday.
And speaking of Saturday… make sure to tune in for E-Pole from Le Mans at 16:10 (GMT +2)! The race then gets underway on Sunday morning as the MotoE World Cup delivers more stunning racing from 10:05.
