Marc Marquez Dominates at YPF Energia Argentina Grand Prix
Marc Marquez Claims Victory in Argentina
Termas de Rio Hondo [Argentina], March 17: The MotoGP riders took to the track this Sunday afternoon for the YPF Energia Argentina Grand Prix, marking the conclusion of the weekend's events. Marc Marquez from the Ducati Lenovo Team showcased his prowess by securing his second win of the season, finishing ahead of his brother, Alex Marquez from BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP, who took second place. Franco Morbidelli from Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team, who faced health issues the previous day, made a remarkable comeback to clinch third place, marking his first podium finish since Jerez 2021.
As the race commenced, Alex Marquez reacted swiftly but couldn't overtake polesitter Marc Marquez, who took the lead right away. Pecco Bagnaia was positioned third, while Marco Bezzecchi from April Racing collided with Fabio Quartararo from Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP after missing his braking point at the first corner. Early in the race, Bagnaia attempted to challenge Alex Marquez, but the Gresini rider quickly countered. Johann Zarco from LCR Honda also put pressure on the two-time MotoGP World Champion, leading to a fierce battle for third place behind the Marquez brothers.
On the third lap, Franco Morbidelli surprised both Johann Zarco and Pecco Bagnaia to seize third place. Shortly after, Alex Marquez capitalized on a gap created by his older brother to take the lead in the Grand Prix. It remains uncertain if a tyre pressure issue influenced this maneuver, similar to the situation in Thailand. Starting from 15th on the grid, Ai Ogura from Trackhouse MotoGP Team made an impressive start, climbing to eighth place within six laps. The Japanese rider demonstrated his capability to compete at the highest level, confirming his potential during the two clashes in Buriram.
On a remarkable day, Franco Morbidelli, recovering from illness, managed to close the gap on Marc Marquez, who maintained his position closely behind his younger sibling. Meanwhile, Pecco Bagnaia faced pressure from Johann Zarco, who was comfortably positioned behind him.
As Marc Marquez pursued the leader, he aggressively attacked but lost control at Turn 3, narrowly avoiding a crash and only losing a tenth of a second. With seven laps remaining, he attempted an initial attack but went wide, allowing Alex Marquez to reclaim the lead.
Two laps later, the factory Ducati rider made another attempt and secured his fourth victory of the season, achieving a perfect win rate of 100%. Alex Marquez finished in second place, while Franco Morbidelli, demonstrating solid performance towards the end of the Grand Prix, returned to the podium for the first time since the 2021 Spanish GP.
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Pecco Bagnaia, unable to contend with the leaders, settled for fourth place in Termas. In the final moments, Fabio Di Giannantonio from Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team increased his pace to overtake Johann Zarco on the last lap, securing a top-five finish just ahead of the French rider, who remains optimistic for the rest of the season. Brad Binder from Red Bull KTM Factory Racing finished seventh, followed by Pedro Acosta from the same team, while Joan Mir from Honda HRC Castrol placed ninth. Luca Marini from Honda HRC Castrol rounded out the top ten. Fabio Quartararo, hindered by his earlier incident with Marco Bezzecchi, finished in 15th place. Ai Ogura, who initially finished eighth, was later disqualified for using unapproved software. Enea Bastianini from Red Bull KTM Tech3 also faced challenges, resulting in a difficult weekend.
With this second flawless weekend, Marc Marquez has taken the lead in the World Championship, now 16 points ahead of his younger brother, Alex Marquez. Pecco Bagnaia, in third place, is falling behind the Gresini rider, who is now 15 points adrift.