MotoE™: Garzo fastest, Casadei wins race simulation as testing concludes

Three days of testing for the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Championship see some familiar names take to the top

Friday, 23 February 2024

There’s one month to go until the 2024 FIM Enel MotoE™ World Championship begins at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in March, and the very same venue hosted the three-day pre-season test for the electric Championship. The gaps look as close as ever and some familiar names took to the top in testing, teasing another close season of competition on this parallel path of sustainable innovation.

2023 race winner Hector Garzo (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™) tops the overall timesheets with a 1:46.916 from Day 2, ahead of Nicolas Spinelli (Tech3 E-Racing) and 2019 Cup winner Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE™), both also setting their best efforts on Thursday. Reigning World Champion Mattia Casadei, now with LCR E-Team, took some bragging rights as he won the seven-lap race simulation on Day 3 though, finishing ahead of now-teammate Eric Granado and Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse’s Kevin Manfredi. There, Garzo and Spinelli both slid out, the latter after leading for much of the race as some hurdles befell a number of competitors.

But back to the start. Day 1 saw the field focused on getting up to speed with the machinery and track – or both, for a number of returning or rookie competitors – as Portimão gets ready to debut on the electric calendar this season. Wednesday was the only fully dry outing too, leaving some looking to make more of an impression once the final test sessions take place on the Thursday just ahead of the season-opening Portuguese GP. Day 2 was the timesheet topper despite some damp tracktime, and Day 3 saw the race sim begin in the wet before the sun came out.

So, completing the overall top four behind Garzo, Spinelli, and Ferrari’s best laps from Day 2 comes a 1:47.231 set by Casadei on Day 3, ahead of an impressive full-time debut for Oscar Gutierrez (Axxis-MSI) in P5 overall, just thousandths behind the reigning Champion. 

Alessandro Zaccone (Tech3 E-Racing) is next up, pipping Granado, with Kevin Zannoni (Openbank Aspar Team), the returning Lukas Tulovic (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™) and Miquel Pons (Axxis-MSI) completing the top ten. Two-time Cup winner Jordi Torres (Openbank Aspar Team) is missing from that list, but he was only hundredths off Pons as the top ten is covered by only just over half a second.

He’ll be one of those looking for more next time out in that last Thursday test before the first race weekend begins, but the times are already tight and there are 16 races ahead worth 25 points each. So join us for the season opener at the Grande Prémio Tissot de Portugal as another incredible season of competition begins!

RESULTS – COMBINED TOP TEN

1   Hector Garzo (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™) 1:46.916

2   Nicolas Spinelli (Tech3 E-Racing) +0.120

3   Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE™) +0.170

4   Mattia Casadei (LCR E-Team) +0.315

5   Oscar Gutierrez (Axxis-MSI) +0.318

6   Alessandro Zaccone (Tech3 E-Racing) +0.378

7   Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) +0.397

8   Kevin Zannoni (Openbank Aspar Team) +0.480

9   Lukas Tulovic (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™) +0.491

10 Miquel Pons (Axxis-MSI) +0.595