What to expect at the MotoGP Argentina GP

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 could not have delivered any nice shock by way of the winner, with Marc Marquez 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 turn into one thing of a convention at this spherical of the championship. Key to the component of unpredictability is the relative lack of knowledge at this venue, the place three of the final 5 MotoGP races have been cancelled (see beneath). Its early-season date can also be an element, as producers are usually nearer on efficiency while they determine their new machines.

Final time this race was run, two years in the past, Marco Bezzecchi scored his breakthrough MotoGP win in a wet-weather affair. That weekend additionally noticed Alex Marquez – who was second on this yr’s Thailand opener – rating his first pole place.

The 2023 version additionally noticed Brad Binder 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 Aleix Espargaro. His defeat of Jorge Martin that day was additionally the long-awaited first win for Aprilia in MotoGP.

Few will overlook the controversial 2018 race, through which Cal Crutchlow scored the final of his three profession MotoGP wins. Jack Miller’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.

Can anyone beat Marc Marquez?

Regardless of the historical past of South American surprises, it can 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 have to 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 might need taken the 2015 race too, however fell after a memorable conflict with final winner Valentino Rossi.

Whereas Marc Marquez has these three wins to his identify, the person touted as his largest 2025 rival, team-mate Francesco Bagnaia, 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 file in thoughts, maybe a repeat of the third place he scored in Thailand wouldn’t be a foul return for the 2022 and 2023 world champion.

Quite than Bagnaia, it was Alex Marquez who emerged as his brother’s largest risk on the opening spherical. Returning to the scene of his first pole place, the youthful Marquez could be anticipated to maintain the stress 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, may very well 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 objective, nonetheless, shall be to beat star rookie Ai Ogura, who was fifth aboard the impartial Trackhouse Aprilia.

With Honda having taken an excellent stride over the winter, control Johann Zarco 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

Picture by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Photos

A patchy internet hosting historical past

Even off the monitor, the Argentina spherical of the championship has hardly ever been easy. First run in 1961, it made solely intermittent appearances on the calendar till 2014. And even since then, it has dropped off the schedule thrice.

Whereas the cancellation of the nation’s MotoGP spherical in the course of 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 challenge 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 transport the MotoGP circus’s freight to the venue.