Argentina MotoGP | Deep Dive

Merciless Marquez just threw down a challenge to the entire MotoGP grid: catch me if you can…

That was the message Marc Marquez (Lenovo Ducati) left the MotoGP grid after a second clean sweep in as many races, as he led a family one-two in qualifying, the Sprint and feature race to establish a commanding position in the championship after just the season’s second round.

Yes, 20 races still remain. But in this form, it’s hard to envision anyone stopping the eight-time world champion. At a track he hadn’t visited since 2019, he became the first rider in history to win back-to-back Sprints and feature races, and topped every session across the weekend.

While there were similarities to round one in how he stalked Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati) for the majority of Sunday’s race before a final blitz that ensured he came home comfortably ahead, one crumb of comfort for his rivals was at least he was made to work for it at the Gran Premio de Argentina.

Having relinquished the lead by running wide at Turn 1 on the fourth lap, he really had to struggle to hang on to Alex’s rear wheel. Unlike the previous race, this mistake wasn’t necessitated by concerns over front tyre pressure dropping too low. Uncomfortable with the feeling offered by Michelin’s medium rear tyre in early laps, he felt below the standards set on Saturday, when he eased home comfortably clear of Alex.

Yet his brother showed remarkable speed on Sunday. “When Marc went wide, I just thought, ‘Go for it!’” said the Gresini Ducati rider of the opportunity that opened up ahead. And go for it he did. While Alex’s lead never exceeded half a second, he was forcing his sibling to ride at the limit. Marc nearly high-sided out of Turn 11 on lap 15, and then came close to tucking the front into Turn 5 with six laps to run.

That said, once he breezed past his brother on the run to Turn 5 on lap 20, there was little doubting the winner. Like in Thailand, he destroyed the challenge from behind in a handful of laps. With four to go, he was already one second clear. It was a convincing way to tie level with Spanish legend Angel Nieto for the number of Grand Prix wins (90).

There was little to suggest over the past five premier class campaigns that Alex Marquez could ever challenge for a MotoGP crown. Yet there’s little doubt he is currently riding at the peak of his powers. “Today I’m impressed by his riding style,” said Marc. “At the moment he’s my biggest rival.” Another sting aimed at Bagnaia, no doubt.

The triple world champion couldn’t even come home behind the Marquez brothers as he managed in Thailand, as Franco Morbidelli (VR46 Ducati) claimed a first GP podium since May 2021 with an inspired ride. Putting a fever to one side, the ex-Moto2 champ gambled with Michelin’s soft rear tyre to chase down the top two in the early stages after a neat pass on Bagnaia at Turn 7 on lap four. Even if he faded late on, he still kept Bagnaia at arm’s length, taking third by 0.9 sec.

It leaves Bagnaia facing an uphill task. Granted, he’s never been strong in Argentina but is already 31 points in arrears of his teammate. While Marquez is working from a settled base, he’s yet to look fully comfortable on Ducati’s ‘25 bike. And with Austin, Texas, coming up, that deficit is only likely to grow. Getting beaten by two-year-old Ducatis is not the way to win a title.

And that’s before we get to the rider of the weekend. Johann Zarco (LCR Honda) was the best of the rest in sixth after losing fifth to Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46 Ducati) on the final lap at Turn 11. While disappointed not to challenge for the podium, as he did in the Sprint, the Frenchman would later reflect on Honda’s best result since the 2023 Thai GP. His performance here confirmed HRC’s excellent step forward at Round One.

Aprilia took a huge step back, with its best finisher, eighth-placed rookie Ai Ogura (Trackhouse), disqualified for a technical infringement involving software.

Marc Marquez (74 points) extends his championship lead to 16 points with Alex (58) second. Bagnaia (43) is already playing catch up.

Jack Miller – 14th

After the promise of Argentina, this was a tough weekend for all the Yamaha contingent. Miller gained two places in the Sprint to finish 11th, after picking his way through what he described as “complete chaos” on Turn 1. Sunday wouldn’t offer up any joy as he suffered a dire start from 13th. Sitting 16th at the end of lap one, he gained two places to come home 14th, 1.8 sec behind the first Yamaha rider home, Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha). “We definitely expected more today. I believe our pace is better than what we showed, and not making it into Q2 certainly didn’t help.”

Dixon dominant

Jake Dixon (Marc VDS Boscoscuro) threw his name into the championship frame after dominating the Moto2 race in Argentina. Passing pole sitter Manuel Gonzalez (IntactGP Kalex) on the run to the race’s first turn, the Englishman dominated, leading every lap.

Dixon soon built up his lead, setting four successive fastest laps from laps four to seven to break Gonzalez. By lap 10 it was a formality, as he coasted to a first win in Marc VDS colours by 3.5 sec. Gonzalez’s teammate Senna Agius finished 13th.

As the top two raced clear, Aron Canet (Fantic Kalex), Celestino Vietti (Speed Up Boscoscuro), Marcos Ramirez (ART Kalex) and Filip Salac (Marc VDS Boscoscuro) slugged it out for third. The four-way fight was reduced to two when Salac came together with Ramirez at Turn 5 on lap 11. And with Canet tiring due to a bruising practice crash, Vietti was free to take third.

Gonzalez leads on 45 points, with Dixon (34) now second and Canet (33) third.

Senna Agius – 13th

This was a painful drop-off for the Round One podium finisher. Yet Agius did rescue a tough situation after qualifying 22nd. He had climbed to 16th by the start of lap two, and was able to climb three more places before the chequered flag. All in all, a solid performance in his first visit to the Argentine track. “This feeling today is not what we’re working for this year. I tried my best but we were missing something. In the race I tried to change my riding style but couldn’t get my rhythm and didn’t have any feeling from the beginning. I got stuck behind riders I couldn’t pass at all. We need to reset and prepare well for Austin.”

Piqueras’ robbery

Angel Piqueras (MSI KTM) showed why he came into 2025 as preseason favourite by producing a ruthless final lap to steal victory from Matteo Bertelle (MTA KTM). Pole man Bertelle appeared to have the race sewn up with a lap to go as he led by 0.3 sec. Yet Piqueras and Jose Antonio Rueda (Ajo KTM) had wiped that advantage out on the final run to Turn 5. Both Spaniards were through by Turn 10 and, as Piqueras ran wide on corner exit, Rueda’s second straight victory appeared a formality. Yet his compatriot’s heavy-handed move into Turn 13 put Piqueras ahead, allowing Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Honda) through in the process.

Alvaro Carpe (Ajo KTM) crashed out of the victory fight on the last lap, meaning Bertelle was fourth, Taiyo Furusato (HTA Honda) fifth. Just 0.236 sec covered the quintet at the flag. Rueda (41 points) is five points clear of Fernandez (36) while Piqueras (29) climbs to third.

Joel Kelso – 8th

Kelso faced an uphill fight all weekend. Handed a Double Long Lap Penalty for taking Piqueras out in Thailand, the 21-year-old knew he’d have his work cut out after qualifying eighth. Yet he produced one of his strongest ever showings on Sunday. Relegated to 25th after serving his second Long Lap on the third circuit, he fought back to eighth. “Overall, a really positive weekend. We made up five seconds on the leaders and passed 14 riders. We showed our potential. Our championship fight starts in America!”

paddock  news

Acosta-Ducati links emerge

KTM’s slow start to the season has fuelled speculation Pedro Acosta may have a clause to escape his contract in KTM at the end of 2025.

The Austrian manufacturer faced a winter of uncertainty after entering administration in November, which led to serious concerns from its star rider. Even if Acosta played a possible exit down in Argentina, stating, “I have ‘25 and ‘26 contract. It’s the second race of the season! Come on boys…” it did little to allay speculation.

VR46 Ducati, a possible destination, didn’t exactly play the links down. “Every year it’s earlier and earlier to talk about the future,” said team principal Pablo Nieto. “We have to be focused on our riders. But we know Pedro is a fantastic rider and everyone wants that (in their team). Let’s see.”

On the track it was another sobering weekend for KTM. Acosta declared himself, “Not happy” after the Sprint, when he stated the RC16 has gone backwards since last season.

Martin rules out Austin return

Jorge Martin made a surprise appearance in the pre-event press conference, via a videocall.

The reigning world champion revealed he will not race in Austin as he “struggles to recover” from the multiple fractures to his left wrist. “I’m really suffering, it’s not my moment,” he said. “I’m struggling to recover as fast as I would like. I won’t be in Austin. I don’t know if I can be also in Qatar.”

Aprilia also revealed it is working to allow Martin to test its RS-GP before making a comeback. Current rules forbid full-time MotoGP riders from testing their machines away from race weekends and official tests but Race Manager Paolo Bonora explained the factory is pushing to allow an amendment for Martin, as the Spaniard has amassed just 13 laps.

“It’s a very good idea,” he said. “It’s not only for us. We talked about this many times in the last years. There were many times when riders came back to the track and after one or two laps, they cancelled the weekend and the team had one less rider. We think it’s a very good option for everybody.”

Asked when he’d like Martin to test the RS-GP, he said, “Before Qatar, maybe in Misano.”

Riders react to Pirelli shock deal

Thursday was the first opportunity to gauge rider reaction to the news Pirelli will replace Michelin as MotoGP’s sole tire supplier from 2027.

“Looking at what will happen in 2027 with new rules, they expect the bikes to be slower than now – and if that’s the case they’ll be much closer to the lap times Superbikes do,” said Pirelli’s Motorcycle Racing Director, Giorgio Barbier. “We won’t go far from the tyres we’ve done in the last years. We’ll try to stay close to the knowledge we have. Then we’ll see.”

Michelin was philosophical. “In motorsport you always have cycles,” Piero Taramasso, Head of Two-wheel Motorsport, told AMCN. “We discussed with Dorna for several months. This was not what we wanted.”

The news was a shock to the majority of the MotoGP field. “I already experienced the change from Bridgestone to Michelin,” said Marc Marquez. “Sure, Pirelli will be good tyres, but always when you change it’s an adaptation from the manufacturer to the tyres, the riding style to the tyres. And you remember when Michelin arrived here after Bridgestone, there were strange crashes that the riders didn’t understand.”

“The tyre change will make everything more spicy,” said Honda’s Luca Marini.

2025 MOTOGP WORLD STANDINGS

2025 Moto2 World Standings

2025 Moto3 World Standings