Granado grabs first pole of the season from Spinelli and Casadei
The stage is set for the opener as the Brazilian comes out swinging – and Ferrari faces a fight back.Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) will start the first races of the 2024 FIM Enel MotoE™ World Championship season from pole position after storming back to the top in qualifying at the Grande Premio Tissot de Portugal. The Brazilian showed his hand to deny Nicholas Spinelli (Tech3 E-Racing) by just 0.067, with reigning Champion Mattia Casadei (LCR E-Team) forced to settle for third on the grid for the first two races of 2024.
Some other big names have a little more work to do, setting up a Saturday to remember at Round 1. 2023 MotoEâ„¢ runner-up Jordi Torres (Openbank Aspar Team) starts from seventh, and after some issues on Friday, Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoEâ„¢) gets ready for his assault on the crown from 11th.
In Q1, the Italian was just edged out as Miquel Pons (Axxis-MSI) and the returning Lukas Tulovic (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoEâ„¢) moved through in a tight field. However, once Q2 got underway it was all change again, and it went to the wire. Both Spinelli and Casadei looked to be challenging Granado, but the final sector saw it fade away and the Brazilian takes that coveted first pole of the season.
A strong showing from Hector Garzo (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoEâ„¢) puts him at the head of the second row, and it was tight as he slots in ahead of Alessandro Zaccone (Tech3 E-Racing) by just 0.012. Rookie Oscar Gutierrez (Axxis-MSI), who did two rounds last season but two rounds only, impressed to complete the top six.
Torres takes P7 ahead of Tulovic, who is racing on the Ducati V21L for the first time, with Kevin Zannoni completing an Openbank Aspar Team sandwich around Tulovic on Row 3. Aiming to immediately join that party if not even further forward once the lights go out, Ferrari sees lights out from P11.
Make sure to tune in for Race 1 at 12:15, before the second serving of electric action at 16:10 (UTC)!
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