Eric Granado got his 2023 MotoE World Championship title bid underway properly with a composed victory in treacherously wet conditions during the second race of the day at Mugello.

While the preceding MotoGP Sprint Race managed to get away with only a smattering of rain amid looming stormy clouds overhead, by the time the second MotoE race formed on the grid, the heavens opened in full.

Delaying the start, it assured a sodden start to the shortened six lap encounter, with Mattias Casadei getting hole-shot around the outside of Turn 1 from Matteo Ferraro and Randy Krummenacher, though it was the Gresini rider that ended lap one in the lead after overtaking on the run down to Scarperia.

With Casadei slipping back after his bright start, it didn't take long for the field to split into those more confident in the tricky conditions and those less so, with a front pack of three - Ferrari, Granado and Kevin Manfredi - breaking away. They might have been joined by a flying Miquel Pons, who went from 14th to fifth on the opening lap, only to crash out on lap two.

Up at the front, the pendulum of momentum swung evenly between the trio as they jostled for position, each enjoying a stint in the lead at some stage. While expected of Ferrari and Granado, it represented a best MotoE showing yet for Manfredi on the Ongetta SIC58.

Coming into the closing stages, while Granado's first attempt to push from the front instead led to him being shuffled back to third, his second wave of attack proved critical as he swooped into the lead with three laps to go at Turn 4. From here Granado was away, putting a second between himself and his rivals, a margin he looked on course to protect to the flag when the red flags were flown on the final lap after Casadei barrel-rolled out of fourth.

With enough of the race distance completed, Granado was declared the winner - his 11th MotoE victory - from Manfredi, the Italian scoring his first podium, while third for Ferrari allowed him to move onto the heels of Jordi Torres in the overall standings, just two points now the margin.

Nicholas Spinelli bounced back from his crash in race one to secure fourth, while race one winner Andrea Mantovani's fortunes went in the other direction as he came to a stop while running in fifth.

Jordi Torres completed the top five, ahead of Hector Garzo, Randy Krummenacher, Mika Perez - who scored his first top ten - Alessandro Zaccone and Kevin Zannoni

Italian MotoE, Mugello | Race 2 Results

Saturday | Conditions - Very wet, Rain