MotoGP: Everything You Need To Know About The Argentinian Grand Prix

Italian fever seems to have taken over MotoGP in Argentina this weekend, but not in the order you may expect. Building on their strong pace in Portugal, Aprilia now look to be the team to beat. They dominated free practice 1 and 2 with last year’s winner, Spanish rider Aleix Espargaro setting the pace ahead of teammate and compatriot, Maverick Vinales. 

Valentino Rossi’s Mooney VR46 Ducati duo of Marco Bezzechi and Luca Marini followed close behind. The other Ducatis of Jorge Martin, Johan Zarco and reigning world champion, Francesco Bagnaia kept them honest and rounded out the top seven positions in practice.

If you were to bet that an Italian manufacturer would win the race, you’d most likely be right considering that Yamaha, Honda and KTM seem to be nowhere with Marc Marquez out due to surgery and Yamaha man Fabio Quartararo struggling to keep out of Q1.

The three-mile long Autódromo Termas de Río Hondo race track boasts a range of thrilling overtaking spots that leave both riders and spectators on the edge of their seats. As the riders zoom down the long straight between turns 1 and 2, they must make a split-second decision to brake late and launch themselves into the turn, attempting to outmanoeuvre their competitors in a daring display of skill and bravery. Meanwhile, turn 5 presents a wide-open opportunity for riders to try and pass on the inside, utilising their courage and racecraft to snatch the advantage. The tight corners of turn 7 and turn 13 also provide nail-biting moments for fans as riders out-brake each other, vying for the coveted podium positions. 

Qualifying starts on Saturday 1st April at 7:20pm IST and the sprint race starts at 11:30pm IST. The lights go out on Sunday 2nd April at 10:20pm.

All in all, the Autódromo Termas de Río Hondo circuit promises to be an adrenaline-fueled thrill ride for both competitors and spectators alike so don’t miss it!