MotoE: Torres retains title in controversial Misano season finale

Jordi Torres (HP Pons 40) defended the MotoE crown at the campaign finale at Misano. The outcome was decided in dramatic fashion as title rivals Torres and Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP) collided on the last lap of the season and the former went down.

Aegerter crossed the line as race and cup winner, but a post-race penalty relegated him down the standings. Matteo Ferrari (Indonesian E-Racing Gresini MotoE) ended 2021 third in the ranking with a 14-points disadvantage.

The race victories at Misano went to Torres who kept Aegerter behind him in Race 1 and Ferrari who inherited P1 in Race 2. Mattia Casadei (Ongetta SIC58 Squadracorse) bagged two podium finishes while Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team) stepped onto the rostrum in Race 2.

RACE 1

Torres retained P1 from pole closely followed by Casadei. Alessandro Zaccone’s (Octo Pramac MotoE) race was over on the opening lap when he collided with Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE).

Casadei stole the lead but could not shake off Torres whose efforts were restricted by yellow flags in sector 1. Aegerter made the top duo a trio and successively claimed them both on Lap 2. Torres too punched his way past Casadei who now fell into the clutches of Eric Granado (One Energy Racing).

Torres stroke at T8 on Lap 3, but Aegerter immediately retaliated. The punches exchanged allowed Granado to close them right in and the Brazilian immediately got feisty.

Aegerter was leading but had to brave Torres who fiercely contested the position at every opportunity. The Spaniard himself was under fire from Granado who could not quite make a move stick. Casadei sat closely in fourth but stayed out of the fight.

A misjudgement on the penultimate lap saw Torres touch Aegerter’s rear tyre and sent him wide. He dropped into fourth but immediately pushed Casadei aside to move back into a podium spot.

Aegerter and Granado were left to battle it out on the last lap, but proceedings would go a different way. Granado committed to a move down the inside at the final corner but his front tyre went and brought him down.

As a result, Aegerter had to lift up, lost drive and allowed Torres to accelerate past him to victory. Casadei secured a podium finish in third.

The result meant that Torres went into the ultimate race of the campaign as series leader, holding an eight-points advantage over Aegerter.

RACE 2

Casadei stole the holeshot but was under immediate pressure from Torres who swiftly overtook. Behind, Aegerter exchanged punches with Ferrari in a fierce fight for third. Granado too got involved in the battle and interrupted Ferrari’s rhythm, granting Aegerter some breathing space.

Aegerter went on the hunt and punched his way past Casadei into second. Torres had committed to a disappearance strategy and held a one second advantage when his title rival slotted into P2. The pair exchanged fastest times and with half of the eight-lap race done, the gap stood at half a second.

Going into the penultimate lap, Aegerter was right on the back of Torres. He swept past a couple of times, but the Spaniard always retaliated and reclaimed the position on the switch-back.

Another attempt on the final lap came to nothing before Aegerter committed to an aggressive lunge at T14. The pair made contact and Torres went down and out. Aegerter stormed to a provisional race and title win, but the incident was subject to investigation.

Race direction awarded a ride through equivalent penalty of 38 seconds, relegating Aegeter to 12^th. Ferrari inherited the race victory while Torres, after all, defended the MotoE title.