The MotoE World Championship has a date set for its return to action on the iconic weekend at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, in Portugal.
Eight rounds, 16 races – and it all starts this weekend! MotoE comes back to life at the Grande Prémio Tissot de Portugal, with the 18 riders getting ready to face the rollercoaster, with Mattia Casadei (LCR E-Team) back to defend the title he won last year.
The Italian is one of three former MotoE champions on the grid in 2024, as Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE) and Jordi Torres (Openbank Aspar Team) also return hoping to achieve more glory in the electric class. Ferrari was the fastest of the trio at the Portimão Test, closely followed by Casadei, but races are a different story.
Hector Garzo (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE) led the times in the Test. The six-time podium winner in 2023 – one of them a victory in Sachsenring – arrives in 2024 in good form and is another to consider in the fight for the title. Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) will also bet on his chances of fighting for the title, with the Brazilian trying to recover from a 2023 marked by injuries and launching a more consistent season in 2024. He remains the MotoE rider with the most victories, 11, one ahead of Ferrari.
Another winner from last year, Nicholas Spinelli (Tech3 E-Racing), was second in the tests and, having finished the 2023 campaign with three consecutive podiums, the Italian will be confident that he can add more wins to his name this year. Former race winner Lukas Tulovic (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE) returns to the category to race with Ducati for the first time, and other former winners Alessandro Zaccone (Tech 3 E-Racing) and Miquel Pons (Axxis-MSI) remain on the grid looking to move forward after proven success in the past.
Many of last year’s Championship winners are back for more in 2024, so we are prepared for a fascinatingly competitive season. Andrea Mantovani, a two-time winner in 2023, now with the new Klint Forward Factory Team, and Kevin Zannoni (Openbank Aspar Team) and Kevin Manfredi (Ongetta SIC58 Squadracorse), all eyeing additional success in the coming months, with proven podium pedigree. Alessio Finello (Felo Gresini MotoE) and Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) also want to move forward.
And the newcomers? Pedigree is a word that also works for Chaz Davies (Aruba Cloud MotoE Racing Team), as the 32-time WorldSBK winner embarks on his MotoE journey in Portimão. Oscar Gutierrez (Axxis-MSI) impressed in the Test and in his two previous appearances, and now joins the grid full-time, along with Massimo Roccoli (Ongetta SIC58 Squadracorse) and Armando Pontone (Aruba Cloud MotoE Racing Team). In short, one thing can be promised: more incredible MotoE races.
Source: Dorna Sports
