The Argentina GP is again on the MotoGP calendar this season after a yr’s absence, with Termas de Rio Honda staging the second spherical of the championship this weekend.
Whereas the opening race in Thailand might not have delivered any nice shock by way of the winner, with sweeping the weekend on his first outing aboard the manufacturing unit Ducati, historical past suggests something is feasible in Argentina.
Changeable climate and weird or first-time winners have grow to be one thing of a convention at this spherical of the championship. Key to the aspect of unpredictability is the relative lack of information at this venue, the place three of the final 5 MotoGP races have been cancelled (see under). Its early-season date can also be an element, as producers are typically nearer on efficiency while they work out their new machines.
Final time this race was run, two years in the past, scored his breakthrough MotoGP win in a wet-weather affair. That weekend additionally noticed – who was second on this yr’s Thailand opener – rating his first pole place.
The 2023 version additionally noticed win the dash race for KTM, a producer for whom victories have been collectors’ objects all through its time in MotoGP.
One yr earlier got here a memorable breakthrough for . His defeat of that day was additionally the long-awaited first win for Aprilia in MotoGP.
Few will overlook the controversial 2018 race, wherein scored the final of his three profession MotoGP wins. ’s first pole place had performed out in uncommon trend firstly of the race, with the remainder of the sector being compelled to begin a number of rows behind him after altering from moist to dry tyres following the sighting lap.
Marc Marquez, Ducati Group
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Can anyone beat Marc Marquez?
Regardless of the historical past of South American surprises, it should nonetheless take a courageous soul to guess in opposition to Marc Marquez this weekend after his dominant pole, dash and grand prix victory in Thailand. It should be noticed that not each Argentina GP has seen a outstanding new winner: Marquez gained there in 2014, 2016 and 2019.
He survived one other uncommon chapter in race administration historical past – a obligatory mid-race bike change for all riders – to win the 2016 version.
Marquez may need taken the 2015 race too, however fell after a memorable conflict with final winner .
Whereas Marc Marquez has these three wins to his title, the person touted as his greatest 2025 rival, team-mate , has by no means scored a podium in any class in Argentina. He additionally crashed out of second place in MotoGP’s final go to right here in 2023. With that modest report in thoughts, maybe a repeat of the third place he scored in Thailand wouldn’t be a nasty return for the 2022 and 2023 world champion.
Quite than Bagnaia, it was Alex Marquez who emerged as his brother’s greatest risk on the opening spherical. Returning to the scene of his first pole place, the youthful Marquez will be anticipated to maintain the strain on his brother as soon as once more. The star of winter testing, Alex led the center a part of the Thai GP earlier than Marc reclaimed the benefit. He’ll know that the early season, and this unpredictable race specifically, could possibly be his greatest alternative to attain a win aboard the year-old GP24.
With Aprilia and Bezzecchi having made their breakthroughs in Argentina in 2022 and 2023 respectively, the omens are good for the brand new Aprilia/Bezzecchi mixture, which opened with a sixth place in Thailand. Bezzecchi’s first purpose, nevertheless, can be to beat star rookie , who was fifth aboard the impartial Trackhouse Aprilia.
With Honda having taken an amazing stride over the winter, regulate specifically this weekend. The Frenchman, who completed an encouraging seventh in Thailand, was Moto2 winner at Termas de Rio Hondo in 2015 and 2016.
Paddock
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A patchy internet hosting historical past
Even off the observe, the Argentina spherical of the championship has not often been simple. First run in 1961, it made solely intermittent appearances on the calendar till 2014. And even since then, it has dropped off the schedule 3 times.
Whereas the cancellation of the nation’s MotoGP spherical through the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021 aligned with worldwide occasions, the 2024 race solely fell by the wayside as a result of state spending cuts introduced in by new president Javier Milei.
The pandemic wasn’t the one off-circuit difficulty in 2021, with a hearth having destroyed the pit advanced that yr.
In 2022, the primary day of apply was cancelled in its entirety after delays delivery the MotoGP circus’s freight to the venue.
Images from Argentina GP – ThursdayMarc Marquez, Ducati Group, Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Group, Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing
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Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing
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Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Group
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Enea Bastianini, Pink Bull KTM Tech 3
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Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Group
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Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing
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Brad Binder, Pink Bull KTM Manufacturing facility Racing
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Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing, Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Group
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Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing
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Marc Marquez, Ducati Group
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Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Manufacturing facility Racing
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Brad Binder, Pink Bull KTM Manufacturing facility Racing
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Marc Marquez, Ducati Group, Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Group
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Jack Miller, Pramac Racing
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Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing, Marc Marquez, Ducati Group
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Maverick Vinales, Pink Bull KTM Tech 3
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Johann Zarco, Group LCR Honda
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Brad Binder, Pink Bull KTM Manufacturing facility Racing
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Miguel Oliveira, Pramac Racing
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Marc Marquez, Ducati Group, Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Group
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Pedro Acosta, Pink Bull KTM Manufacturing facility Racing
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Ai Ogura, Trackhouse Racing
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Marc Marquez, Ducati Group, Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Group, Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing
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Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing, Marc Marquez, Ducati Group, Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Group
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Marc Marquez, Ducati Group
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Fermin Aldeguer, Gresini Racing
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Jack Miller, Pramac Racing
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Marc Marquez, Ducati Group, Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Group, Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing
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Johann Zarco, Group LCR Honda
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Brad Binder, Pink Bull KTM Manufacturing facility Racing
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Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Group
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Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing, Fermin Aldeguer, Gresini Racing
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Marc Marquez, Ducati Group
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Maverick Vinales, Pink Bull KTM Tech 3
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Fermin Aldeguer, Gresini Racing
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Somkiat Chantra, Group LCR Honda
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Marc Marquez, Ducati Group, Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Group
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Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing
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Somkiat Chantra, Group LCR Honda
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Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing
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Joan Mir, Honda HRC
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Marc Marquez, Ducati Group
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Marc Marquez, Ducati Group, Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing
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