Winners and losers from the MotoGP Argentina GP

If his Thai GP win on the opening weekend of the season was outstanding just for its sheer dominance, Marc’s defeat of his brother Alex in Argentina was an actual testomony to his capacity to adapt below stress. Regardless of being stretched to the restrict and shedding the lead for a lot of the race, Marc modified his driving type to make sure he had slightly left in his tyres on the finish. That allowed him to tug off what regarded like a straightforward transfer to regain the lead and draw back.

What will likely be equally troubling for his opponents is the truth that Marc gained convincingly in fully completely different situations from Thailand. Not solely had been the temperatures considerably much less tropical in Termas de Rio Hondo, however the circuit is kind of completely different in nature. In truth, it has a popularity for throwing up surprises. That it did nothing of the type this 12 months is a troubling thought for anyone who isn’t Marc Marquez.

A ninetieth grand prix win (all lessons) for Marc Marquez additionally took him to the following rung on the ladder of all-time greats. It equalled the tally of small-capacity legend and countryman Angel Nieto, who died in 2017. Ought to Marquez add another win to his tally, he’ll then turn out to be essentially the most profitable Spanish rider in historical past. Forward of him on the checklist are Italians Giacomo Agostini and Valentino Rossi, with 122 and 115 wins respectively.

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Workforce

Picture by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Photos

If the proof of the primary two MotoGP weekends is something to go by, that manufacturing facility Ducati storage isn’t sufficiently big for 2 superstars. Not that Marc Marquez and ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia have been something in addition to civil to one another, however the gulf in efficiency is starting to yawn wider.

Till Sunday, the two-time world champion may a minimum of console himself with the truth that he had made the rostrum within the first two sprints and the primary grand prix of the 12 months. However within the Argentina GP, Bagnaia couldn’t even preserve his run of third locations going. He was handed and crushed, honest and sq., by Franco Morbidelli. By the top of the race, he wasn’t even in the identical digital camera shot because the leaders.

Like Alex Marquez, who has annexed second place in each dash and grand prix to this point, Morbidelli is on a year-old GP24 Ducati. Whereas that distinction doesn’t carry numerous weight at this stage of the season, Bagnaia continues to be meant to be first in line to duke it out along with his manufacturing facility colleague Marc Marquez. However he’s lacking his “feeling” on the bike – and proper now he can’t even clarify why.  

Winner: Franco Morbidelli

Franco Morbidelli, VR46 Racing Workforce

Picture by: Media VR46

The third-place end was a giant deal for Morbidelli, a person who suffered some troublesome years since ending second on this planet championship aboard a Petronas SRT Yamaha in 2020. This was his first podium for the reason that Spanish Grand Prix in 2021, the 12 months he struggled with a knee harm and first started to lose his method.

“I had time to overlook how good it was,” he mirrored afterwards. “I had time to suppose…that I wasn’t value it. I had time to suppose that I wasn’t sufficient.”

Given his struggles with the manufacturing facility Yamaha crew after which Pramac Ducati throughout his lean years, Morbidelli’s resurgence might partly be right down to a change of atmosphere – he switched to the VR46 crew forward of this season. The outcomes got here instantly: ‘Frankie’ was fourth on the opener in Thailand earlier than going one higher in Argentina yesterday.

The rostrum was all of the sweeter for the truth that Morbidelli’s gamble of taking a comfortable rear tyre paid off as he made some key early passes after which held on to his place. The truth that he had been ailing for a lot of the weekend can even add to the sense of feat.

Pedro Acosta, Crimson Bull KTM Manufacturing unit Racing

Picture by: KTM Photos

After such a stellar rookie season aboard an unbiased KTM, it’s simple to grasp why Pedro Acosta is already so despondent, having graduated to the manufacturing facility squad. Hopes that Acosta may enhance considerably on his Thailand outing, the place he fell within the GP, didn’t materialise in Argentina, the place he took ninth and eighth locations within the dash and grand prix respectively. He was accustomed to higher than that in 2024.

As all the time, there was some one-lap tempo within the bike and Acosta was capable of drag it onto the second row in qualifying. However Acosta paid the value for the KTM’s spinning rear in race situations and dropped again quick on Saturday, when team-mate Brad Binder complained of the identical situation.

Sunday was slightly higher on the bike entrance, however Acosta needed to cope with a obscure arm situation throughout the race. He had not confronted something related since his debut final season. He was a cautious of calling it arm pump, nevertheless, and described it as “not something essential”.

On prime of that, Acosta is already having to cope with nosy questions on whether or not he’s making an attempt to get out of his 2026 KTM contract.

Johann Zarco, Workforce LCR Honda

Picture by: LCR Honda MotoGP Workforce

At 33 this time final 12 months, Zarco regarded to have manoeuvred himself right into a profession useless finish. Having moved from Ducati to struggling LCR Honda, it was arduous to see mild on the finish of the tunnel. However fast-forwarding to 2025 modifications the image dramatically.

Zarco was fast from the primary follow on Friday in Argentina and sensationally put the satellite tv for pc Honda RC213V on the entrance row for the races. With out his poor begin within the dash, the person from Cannes may arguably have gone one higher than fourth place behind Francesco Bagnaia. Sixth within the grand prix was additionally an unbelievable consequence by Honda’s current requirements.

Zarco is now the de facto chief of the Honda resurgence and is clearly relishing the position. 

Loser: Yamaha

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Manufacturing unit Racing

Picture by: Yamaha MotoGP

Whereas Honda seems to have turned the nook and is rising from the doldrums, the image is just not so clear over on the different main Japanese producer.

Yamaha’s main manufacturing facility rider, Fabio Quartararo, mentioned there was “nothing optimistic we are able to take from the weekend” in Argentina. He certified an inexpensive seventh however sank quick after an excellent begin within the dash. On Sunday, he was punted out of rivalry by Marco Bezzecchi’s first-corner mistake within the grand prix.

Jack Miller, who had been quick in Thailand, didn’t function on the entrance in Argentina, whereas Alex Rins continued to wrestle on the second manufacturing facility machine.

Miller’s Pramac team-mate Miguel Oliveira ended up on a aircraft to Portugal and additional medical remedy after being taken out by rookie Fermin Aldeguer.

Winner: Alex Marquez

Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing, Marc Marquez, Ducati Workforce

Picture by: Gresini Racing

In 2025, Alex Marquez appears a unique rider from the person who had proven solely occasional flashes of brilliance since stepping as much as MotoGP as a double world champion in 2020.

As in Thailand, Alex was the one man in the identical league as his brother Marc. As soon as once more, he was runner-up in each races. Solely this time, regardless of driving an unbiased, year-old Ducati, he actually pushed the six-time world champion.

Alex Marquez is having fun with his driving like by no means earlier than this 12 months. And within the highest of enhances, Marc declared him his “main opponent” for this 12 months’s world title.

Loser: Aprilia

Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing

Picture by: Aprilia Racing

Rio de Termas Hondo is the monitor that gave Aprilia its first win…and the identical goes for its new 2025 rider Marco Bezzecchi. Contemplating how effectively Ai Ogura had gone on the Trackhouse entry in Thailand, the portents had been good forward of the Argentina weekend.

However Bezzecchi by no means fairly obtained it collectively, qualifying a humble ninth, half a second down on pole man Marc Marquez. The person from Rimini completed the dash a strong sixth, however Sunday was a catastrophe as he misplaced it below braking for the primary nook, ruining Quartararo’s race in addition to his personal.

Ogura wanted time to stand up to hurry on a circuit the place he didn’t take pleasure in in depth testing. He raced by from fifteenth on the grid to ship an encouraging eighth within the grand prix – solely to be stripped of it attributable to a minor software program infringement on his bike.

Aprilia additionally obtained information that its world champion recruit Jorge Martin won’t return for the following race as hoped. Lastly, his substitute Lorenzo Savadori was unable to race within the grand prix after choosing up an harm in qualifying.