MotoGP Assen: Granado wins MotoE red flag sprint

The final race of the Assen weekend saw the rain cause chaos for MotoE with LCR’s Eric Granado ultimately winning the red flagged sprint.

Three laps was all the electric class got in the way of action on Sunday, after two delays and a monster turn five crash cut the action short. Half points were eventually issued with Saturday’s podium sitters once again battling for dominance as Dynavolt Intact GP’s Dominique Aegerter and Pons Racing 40 Mattia Casadei completing the subdued celebrations.

The red flag saw Miquel Pons crash out on the second LCR machine, suffering contact from Marc Alcoba’s Openbank Aspar, with the LCR rider conscious and getting a check up at the circuit before heading to local hospital in Groningen for a CT scan to his pelvis.

Before the flag was thrown, however, it was a five-wide run to the first corner when the action finally got underway, with patchy showers having twice delayed the start. Casadei came from fourth on the grid to lead the field into the first corner, while Aegerter fended off an early challenge from Felo Gresini’s Matteo Ferrari at Strubben, and then again at De Bult, to end the opening lap in second, with Granado just behind.

The riders had no time to waste, with the delays seeing the original distance of eight laps cut to six, and Granado was a man on a mission. He passed Ferrari as they turned into Haarbocht at the start of lap two making room for Pons to follow him in the process. A brief battle between the LCR duo ensued before Granado shook off his teammate and attacked Aegerter.

As the rain flags flew again, Granado passed Aegerter around the outside of the high-speed Ramshoek left-hander, then went down the inside of Casadei when they arrived at Haarbocht next time around.