Patience was key for Eric Granado as he made it two from two in the opening weekend of FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup competition at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España. It was an LCR E-Team one-two after he passed team-mate Miquel Pons midway through the final lap around the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto – the first time the Brazilian had led all race.

Mattia Casadei (Pons Racing 40) completed the Race 2 podium, while Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™) finished fourth after challenging for the lead at the start of the last lap.

For the second day in a row, Hector Garzo (Tech3 E-Racing) got the holeshot from the middle of the front row, but he held the lead only until the Pons Corner (Turn 5), where Casadei went down the inside.

The running order got a shake-up when seemingly everyone went deep into the Pedrosa Corner (Turn 6) at the other end of the back straight. Aegerter emerged in first position, ahead of pole-sitter Pons and the rider who had started all the way back in eighth, Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE™). Fourth at that point was Garzo, ahead of Casadei and Granado.

Pons was back to where he started when he overtook Aegerter at the Lorenzo Corner (Turn 13) at the end of Lap 1. Okubo could not hold onto a podium place for very long, the Japanese rider passed by both Garzo and Granado on Lap 2.

The top four quickly broke away from the rest of the field, but after Granado went underneath Garzo and into a provisional podium position at the end of Lap 2, it quickly became clear that the battle for victory was going to be a race in three. Even so, the previous day’s winner seemed content to watch Pons and Aegerter chop and change at the very front of the field, and what a sight that was.

Aegerter’s preferred passing zone was Turn 9, while Pons was better under brakes at Turn 6, and the lead kept switching from one rider to another.

All the while, Granado continued to circulate just behind the top two, until Aegerter made a lunge at Pons at Turn 1 at the start of the eighth and final lap. The Swiss rider went deep – too deep – and Granado took his chance to grab second position, making contact with Aegerter on exit.

Then, the early-season World Cup leader did a Pons move on Pons, getting a run down the back straight and outbraking his LCR E-Team team-mate at Turn 6. From there, Granado would not be headed, and he beat Pons to the chequered flag by 0.217 seconds.

In all the excitement, Casadei had caught up to the leading bunch, and he pinched a podium with a forceful move on Aegerter at the very last corner of the weekend. Okubo got home in fifth, just ahead of the two FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup title winners to date, as Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE™) finished sixth and Jordi Torres (Pons Racing 40) seventh. Rounding out the top 10 were Alex Escrig (Tech3 E-Racing), Niccolo Canepa (WithU GRT RNF MotoE™ Team), and Kevin Manfredi (OCTO Pramac MotoE™).

Garzo was a surprise non-finisher, the Spaniard crashing when he tried to hang in there on the outside line as Casadei overtook him for fourth at the Lorenzo Corner on Lap 5. Marc Alcoba (Openbank Aspar Team) took a tumble at the end of Lap 1 after contact with Lukas Tulovic (WithU GRT RNF MotoE™ Team), and Yeray Ruiz (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) had a fast fall at Turn 4 on Lap 4, while the other 15 riders made it to the chequered flag.

In the World Cup standings, Granado already enjoys a 17-point lead, with Aegerter his nearest rival and Pons another five points behind in third.

Can the Brazilian remain unbeaten when MotoE™ continues in just two weeks from now? Tune into the SHARK Grand Prix de France on 13 May – 15 May to find out.

MotoE™ Race 2 Top 10:

1. Eric Granado (LCR E-Team)
2. Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team) + 0.217
3. Mattia Casadei (Pons Racing 40) + 0.394
4. Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP) + 0.488
5. Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE) + 1.182
6. Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE) + 1.715
7. Jordi Torres (Pons Racing 40) + 2.701
8. Alex Escrig (Tech3 E-Racing) + 4.202
9. Niccolo Canepa (WithU GRT RNF MotoE Team) + 5.471
10. Kevin Manfredi (Octo Pramac MotoE) + 5.755

It’s the showdown that has built all weekend long: Ducati Lenovo’s Francesco Bagnaia vs Monster Energy Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo. The pair were in a class of their own at the Red Bull Spanish Grand Prix with victory, despite incredible late pressure, going the way of Bagnaia as he officially announced himself as part of the title race. Quartararo was forced to settle for second but did take an outright lead in the World Championship. Meanwhile, in the fight for third, Aleix Espargaro broke clear in the final laps to end Aprilia’s MotoGP™ concessions after six long years.

As the lights went out in Jerez, the roars went up as the thousands of fans trackside celebrated their return to the grandstands after three years away. It was the poleman Bagnaia who launched himself into the lead, with Quartararo settling into second behind. Espargaro and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) were literally elbow-to-elbow off the line, with the Aprilia man diving under the eight-time World Champion into the opening corner only to run wide and allow the Honda man through to fifth. Ducati Lenovo Team’s Jack Miller was third on the opening lap, ahead of LCR Honda Idemitsu’s Takaaki Nakagami.

Marquez was aggressive again on the opening lap as he fired up the inside, and sat up, Nakagami to claim fourth. The Japanese rider, forced wide by Marquez, also saw Espargaro squeeze through. Seconds later Pramac Racing’s Jorge Martin crashed out for the fourth time in six races and, on his 200th Grand Prix appearance, HRC’s Stefan Bradl also hit the deck at the final corner.

Only a handful of laps had been completed but the leading duo were already flexing their muscles, edging further and further clear of Miller. By Lap 5 it was 1.5 seconds and that gap just continued to grow. Meanwhile, the Australian was more concerned about hanging onto the final podium places with both Marquez and Espargaro applying increasing amounts of pressure on the factory Ducati man.

Darryn Binder (WithU RNF Yamaha) crashed out at Turn 2, before a big moment in the World Championship fight took place. After a sluggish start, Alex Rins’ day got worse when the Team Suzuki Ecstar man was forced to straight-line his GSX-RR through the Turn 11 gravel trap after a big moment on the front end. Pramac Racing’s disaster day continued when Johann Zarco crashed out at Turn 5.

Half-race distance had been completed with Bagnaia having eeked out an eight-tenth advantage. The Italian would maintain that gap up until the final three laps of the race. Quartararo sliced his lead in half and was starting to close in on the factory Ducati man. Could Quartararo steal Jerez victory away from Bagnaia late on? The pair were pushing to the absolute limit, now a mind-boggling 11 seconds clear of the rest.

They started the final lap with Bagnaia holding an advantage of just half a second. It would require something special from the World Champion on the final lap. As they came through the fourth and final sector Quartararo was closing and closing, now just a quarter of a second away from the former Moto2™ World Champion. But Bagnaia stood firm, withstanding the almighty pressure, to take a vital victory in Jerez. A first for Bagnaia since the season-closing race in Valencia last year and a second for the Bologna factory in Andalucia in as many years. Quartararo’s third podium visit of the season saw him stretch out his Championship leader from nothing to eight points, however.

Much like the duel for victory, the scrap over third took its time to come to life but when it did, it was pulsating. There were five laps left when Marquez made an inch-perfect move up the inside of Miller at Turn 5. Espargaro behind knew he had to respond or risked seeing the Respol Honda clear off into the distance. And the Aprilia man had an answer on the same lap as he braked hard and late into the final corner. Through went the Spaniard but it would quickly get even better for him.

Marquez was wide into the final corner and the front-end of his RC213V folded, before he somehow, in true Marc Marquez style, picked it up off of his elbow to continue on. Espargaro and Miller both swooped through to demote the eight-time World Champion to fifth. Espargaro checked out, quickly putting half a second into Miller but Marquez wasn’t done. The factory Honda man risked it all on the final lap to take fourth, diving up the inside of Miller at Turn 8 in spectacular style.

Ahead of them, though, Espargaro was coming across the line to take a pivotal podium for the Noale factory. Not only does the Spaniard sit second in the standings, eight points adrift of Quartararo, but Aprilia officially lost their MotoGP™ concession status after six long, hard years. Behind Marquez and Miller in fourth and fifth was Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Joan, who drifted into late contention but couldn’t find a move on the men in front of them.

Nakagami eventually came across the line in seventh, four seconds clear of Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing) who claimed eighth. The erstwhile Championship leader picked off rookie Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing), who matched his best MotoGP™ result despite that in ninth. The final place inside the top ten went the way of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Brad Binder.

MotoGP™ Top 10:
1. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – 25 laps
2. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) + 0.285
3. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) + 10.977
4. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) + 12.676
5. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 12.957
6. Joan Mir (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR) + 13.934
7. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda IDEMITSU) + 14.929
8. Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) + 18.436
9. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) + 18.830
10. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 20.056

One day after taking his first Moto2™ pole position, IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia’s Ai Ogura became a grand prix winner in some style with a brilliant ride at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España. The Japanese rider led all 23 laps around the Circuit de Jerez-Angel Nieto but his was not the only performance deserving of high praise. Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40) had broken his left radius and a finger on his right hand just a week ago in Portugal, but clenched his teeth to finish second, ahead of Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team).

Fourth went to Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo), and fifth to Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP), while World Championship leader Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) finished sixth.

Ogura got the holeshot from pole position while Canet climbed from fourth on the grid to second place when he went around the outside at the first corner. Fermin Aldeguer (Lightech Speed Up) emerged third from the opening corners, ahead of Arbolino, Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia), and Vietti. Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) dropped back a handful of positions after he made contact with Chantra as field poured into the first corner.

Arbolino got past Aldeguer when they arrived at the Pedrosa Corner (Turn 6) for the first time, and the Spanish teenager soon found himself on something of a slippery dip down the order, while Lowes began his fightback from deep in the top 10.

Arbolino gained another place when he wrested second position from Canet as they ran through the stadium section on Lap 3, and when Lowes caught up to Chantra, who was still sitting just behind them, it became a genuine five-way fight for the lead.

Even just by starting the race, Canet had showed his incredible determination, and he was not about to roll over in his bid for victory. Just after two unsuccessful attempts to reclaim second spot from Arbolino, he made a third stick at Turn 9 on Lap 6. Right behind them, Lowes pulled off the same move on Chantra to elevate himself to fourth position.

It was not long, however, until a lead group of five became a lead group of three. Lowes was first to drop out of contention, hitting the deck on Lap 7 as he ran through Turn 8. One lap later, at the next corner on the race track, Chantra was out when he too folded the front end and crashed.

Fernandez inherited fourth position, having not long overtaken Vietti, and Aldeguer was back up to sixth. Then, on Lap 9, Jake Dixon (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team) tried to pass Aldeguer at the Lorenzo Corner (Turn 13), but dropped his bike and wiped out the early-race front-runner as well.

Less than one second still covered the top three of Ogura, Canet and Arbolino at the end of Lap 13, which marked 10 laps to go in the Spanish GP. On Lap 17, however, Canet had a big moment at the Pedrosa Corner, allowing Ogura to skip several tenths of a second clear.

That was when the Japanese rider seriously started to pull away from the two rivals who had stuck with him for most of the race so far. Ogura’s margin was over a full second on Lap 18, and 2.7 seconds as he started the final lap.

When he took the chequered flag, the 21-year-old not only had his first victory in any Grand Prix class, but he also became the fifth brand-new Moto2™ winner of 2022. Canet finished 2.5s behind, and Arbolino was just over a second further back as he completed the podium.

Fernandez finished fourth, and Schrötter took fifth after an entertaining battle with Vietti, which was settled when the German squeezed through a small gap at the Pedrosa Corner on Lap 18. Seventh went to Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team), ahead of Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team), Albert Arena (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team), and Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP40).

Alessandro Zaccone (Gresini Racing Moto2™) finished 11th, ahead of Jeremy Alcoba (Liqui Moly Intact GP) and Stefano Manzi (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team), who was entered as injury replacement for Keminth Kubo. The other two riders to score points were Barry Baltus (RW Racing GP) in 14th and Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Italtrans Racing team) in 15th. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) finished 20th after an early crash while running in the top 10, but Aldeguer eventually retired after his incident with Dixon.

In the World Championship, Vietti is now on exactly 100 points, but his lead over Ogura has been cut to 19 points.

Can Moto2™’s newest race winner make further inroads next time, will the VR46 rider hit back, or will we get another new race winner? Find out when Round 7, the SHARK Grand Prix de France, takes place at the Le Mans Bugatti Grand Prix circuit on 13 May – 15 May.

Moto2™ Race Top 10:

1. Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia)
2. Aron Canet (FlexBox HP40) + 2.509
3. Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) + 3.669
4. Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 5.358
5. Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) + 9.245
6. Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) + 12.122
7. Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) + 13.918
8. Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) + 14.064
9. Albert Arenas (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team) + 18.980
10. Jorge Navarro (FlexBox HP40) + 27.767

Jerez has seen some classic moments down the years but I don’t think it’s ever witnessed a last lap move quite like Izan Guevara’s at the Red Bull Spanish Grand Prix. The Gaviota GASGAS Aspar man rolled around the outside of World Championship leader Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team), Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) for only his second Grand Prix victory after a thrilling Moto3™ fight. Garcia stretched out his title lead with a third consecutive podium and Masia muscled out Öncü at the last corner for the final podium place.

Off the line, it was Garcia who rocketed into the lead from second on the grid, with poleman Guevara settling in behind him. There was also a strong start for Leopard Racing’s Dennis Foggia as he moved through to third before he quickly dropped out of contention. The GASGAS duo were half a second clear after the first lap with Guevara hitting the front at Turn 5 on Lap 2. Masia closed the gap to the leading duo by Lap 3, with Brazilian rookie Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) clinging in there as well. The leading quartet were a second clear after only three laps but they quickly threw away that advantage.

Guevara, Garcia and Masia began swapping places at every available opportunity, all of this allowing Öncü and CFMoto PruestelGP’s Xavi Artigas to close in on the leading four. By Lap 8, Öncü and Artigas were there. They’d caught the leading group and didn’t waste much time before attacking, with the Turk up to fourth after finding a way through on Moreira. Lap 10 and Artigas came alive. The young Spaniard got his elbows out to go from fourth to first.

Meanwhile, the constant fighting at the front was allowing yet more lightweight class riders to join the leading group. SIC58 Squadra Corse’s Riccardo Rossi, despite a long lap penalty, Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Dani Holgado and, quite incredibly after starting from the back of the grid and serving a long lap penalty, Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max Racing’s Ayumu Sasaki had all caught the leading group. 12 laps to go and now nine riders were in the fight for the lead.

Guevara then, after waving his arms in sheer frustration earlier, got to the front and started to increase the pace. He stretched the group out considerably and Holgado, Moreira, who was handed a long lap penalty for exceeding track limits, and Rossi, who eventually crashed out, couldn’t live with the pace and we were back down to six.

After countless overtakes between the leading contenders, we were down to just three laps to go with Turkey’s Öncü leading the way ahead of Garcia and Masia. Guevara was still fancying his chances in fourth, with Artigas and Sasaki, clearly lacking grip after pushing hard to reach the leaders, aiming to pick up the pieces in fifth and sixth.

Masia found a way through on Garcia to go second at Turn 6 with three laps remaining before Garcia pulled off a carbon-copy move on Masia a lap later to retake the place. That didn’t last long, though, with Masia finding an instant response. One lap left of the historic Jerez and Masia fancied a dream home win. He lead as he dived through on the brakes down the hill into Pedrosa Corner, Turn 6, but Öncü responded with yet another move at his favourite Turn 8. In the blink of an eye, Masia was back to fourth after both of the GASGAS riders elbowed their way through at Turn 10 – Garcia was second with Guevara following him through to third.

Into the final corner and Öncü was leading. Garcia went for the inside, Öncü in the middle and Guevara to the outside with the Mallorcan conjuring up some Lorenzo magic at Lorenzo Corner to pull of a quite incredible ‘Por Fuera’ move to hit the front. Garcia tried to drag his way past him to the line but the 17-year-old held on for just a second Grand Prix victory and in some style too. Masia had to nudge Öncü out of the way to take third, denying the Turk a first podium of the year in cruel fashion. Artigas claimed fifth, with Sasaki a commendable sixth after dealing with real adversity.

In the fight for seventh, Japan’s Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) came out on top against compatriot Ryusei Yamanaka, whilst Holgado and Moreira slipped back to ninth and tenth after sitting in the fight for victory at one stage.

A third straight podium for Garcia helped him move 21 points clear of Foggia after a day to forget for the Italian. He eventually slipped all the way back 18th after being 3rd on the opening lap, meaning he failed to score a point. Guevara’s win brings him into title contention, the talented teen is now only 30 points adrift of his teammate as we head to Le Mans.

Moto3™ Top 10 in Jerez:
1. Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) – 22 laps
2. Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) + 0.061
3. Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 0.208
4. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) + 0.319
5. Xavier Artigas (CFMOTO Racing PruestelGP) + 0.417
6. Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) + 0.847
7. Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) + 3.787
8. Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI) + 3.982
9. Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 5.811
10. Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) + 6.088