MotoGP: A flurry of records for Marc Marquez and Michelin in Argentina
Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) dominated the Gran Premio YPF Energía de Argentina – second round of the 2025 MotoGPTM World Championship – to earn a another grand-slam weekend (pole-position, plus sprint and grand prix wins). He also established a number of new records, assisted by the grip provided by his MICHELIN Power slicks. The Spaniard's brother Alex (DK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) was second in both races. Read on to find out more about how the three days in South America unfolded.
Marc Marquez hit the ground running in Friday's free practice to better the former lap record for Termas de Rio Hondo that he himself had set in 2014. The next day, he topped qualifying with an even faster time (1m36.917s) to shave 0,76s off of his effort of 11 years ago.
He followed up by claiming a lights-out to checkered-flag victory in Saturday's appetizer which he completed 20 seconds faster than the last sprint race held in Argentina, in 2023.
For Sunday's grand prix, he leapt from pole-position to lead for the first three of the afternoon's 25 laps on medium MICHELIN Power slicks front and rear. A small mistake on Lap 4 cost him top spot, however, as brother Alex pounced to take command. The multiple world champion maintained a strong pace, though, and clocked the fastest race lap on Lap 19 (1m38.243s) before retrieving control two laps later. Taking maximum advantage of his tires' grip and consistency, he went on to notch up his second grand prix victory of the season.
Alex Marquez repeated his result of a fortnight ago in Thailand by taking silver in both races.
Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) was the third man on Sunday's rostrum after choosing a combination of medium and soft slicks front and rear. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) rounded out the top five, while Johann Zarco (LCR Honda) was rewarded for his strong performance with sixth place, making him the best-placed Honda rider.
Michelin enjoyed a particularly successful weekend, starting on Friday afternoon when six riders bettered the circuit's previous best lap. That benchmark was itself lowered by six riders in qualifying, with Marc Marquez ultimately establishing the new time to beat (1m36.917s).
The entire grid opted for the soft rear for the sprint, but the majority selected the medium front and rear for the grand prix, although some – like Morbidelli – stayed with the soft rear.
The Grand Premio de Argentina took place at a blistering fast pace and the race lap record was bettered almost every time around. It ended up in the hands of the day's victor (1m38.243s, Lap 19) who covered the distance 24.5 seconds faster than the fixture's previous shortest race-duration record. That's practically a second a lap!
Marc Marquez's unbeaten record so far this year has naturally taken him to the top of the provisional Riders' standings on 74 points, ahead of his brother Alex (58) and Bagnaia (43).
Next round: Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, Circuit Of The Americas, Austin, Texas, USA (March 28-30).