Marques dominates in Argentina

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) obliterated the opposition at the Argentine GP on March 31 to take victory by over nine seconds from Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha), with Andrea Dovizioso (Mission Winnow Ducati) finishing in third ahead of Aussie Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Ducati).

“Today was a perfect day. We kept pushing, pushing and in the race I knew that my strongest point was the first five laps,” said Marquez. “I put everything in and then I saw the difference, one second, two seconds, three seconds and then I settled into my rhythm and pushed a little less. I managed the tyres and the bike, it was a really sweet feeling with the bike.”

Marquez got an unthreatened holeshot after a blinder of a start with second place Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha) getting bogged down, allowing Dovizioso, Rossi and Miller to get by the Spaniard. With Marquez holding position off the line, it was a case of head and hammer down for the No. 93 as he bolted to a one second lead on lap one, with that gap increasing to 2.4 seconds after lap two as it soon became a race for second.

That race for second was fierce though as Dovizioso, Rossi, Miller, Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) and Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) scrapped it out. But it was soon rostrum challenge over the Crutchlow as Race Direction gave him a ride through penalty for jumping the start – no repeat win or podium for last season’s Argentina GP victor.

Back at the front and on lap eigtht Marquez’ lead was stretched to five seconds as six riders all had their sights set on second, with Danilo Petrucci (Mission Winnow Ducati) and Viñales joining the fray. Rossi eventually got the better of Dovi on lap nine after running in hot at turn five on lap eight after overtaking his compatriot, but the Ducati rider locked himself onto Rossi’s M1 tailpipes as the Italians locked horns in Termas.

It was ‘The Doctor’ who held second at the halfway point, eight seconds from Marquez, with Dovizioso, Morbidelli, Petrucci, Miller and Viñales in tandem, with Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins creeping up to the rear of Viñales after making up ground from P16 on the grid, firmly tagging himself onto the back of the podium hunt with 10 to go. Viñales then ran wide at turn fiver as he dropped behind 8th place Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu).

With nine to go, a Noah’s Ark formation appeared as second to seventh were two-by-two, roughly half a second between the pairings. Dovi and Rossi locked together, Morbidelli and Petrucci interchanging for fourth with Rins and Miller engaged in battle. Morbidelli soon found himself down in seventh though, Rins and Miller getting the better of him. Meanwhile, Marquez’ gap had opened up to 12 seconds.

The group had closed back up again but with five laps remaining, Dovi and Rossi were edging out an advantage over the chasing pack, with Petrucci, Rins and Miller squabbling for fourth place. Both Rins and Miller getting the better of Petrucci at tur five with three to go.

Heading into the last lap it was Dovi leading Rossi. Both were clear of fourth, but which step of the podium would they be standing on? Dovizioso was able to keep second as the Yamaha had no match for the Ducati grunt down the straight, but ‘The Doctor’ sliced his way through on his countryman at turn seven.

A long way up the road, Marquez cruised round to take his first win of the season in scintillating fashion. A Marquez masterclass in Termas, with Rossi earning his first podium since the 2018 German GP. Dovi came home third, achieving his pre-race aims of a podium finish to head to Austin four points behind Marquez in the Championship.

Just behind, there was drama for two Yamahas on the last lap. Morbidelli tagging the back of Viñales at turn seven, the duo going down and out of contention. This left Miller holding fourth to repeat his 2018 Argentina GP result, with Rins climbing 11 positions from his P16 starting slot to earn fifth place. Petrucci takes away a second consecutive sixth of the season.

Nakagami makes it two top 10s in two in 2019 to come home seventh, with first of the rookies Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) picking up his first points of the year with a solid eighth. The Espargaro brothers completed the top 10, Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s Aleix heading Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pol by 0.3 seconds. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) produced an incredibly impressive ride on his second premier class start to finish just 0.176 seconds behind the factory KTM.

Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda), a recovering Crutchlow, Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) and Johann Zarco (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) completed the points in Argentina.

Karel Abraham (Reale Avintia Racing) and teammate Tito Rabat crashed out – riders okay, with Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) retiring in the latter stages.

MotoGP top 15
1. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team)
2. Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) + 9.816
3. Andrea Dovizioso (Mission Winnow Ducati) + 10.530
4. Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) + 12.140
5. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 12.563
6. Danilo Petrucci (Mission Winnow Ducati) + 13.750
7. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) + 18.160
8. Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) + 20.403
9. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) + 25.292
10. Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 25.679
11. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) + 25.855
12. Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda Team) + 27.497
13. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) + 31.398
14. Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) + 32.893
15. Johann Zarco (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 33.372

In Moto2, Aussie Remy Gardner was superb in finishing second -- his first podium in the category.

Lorenzo Baldassarri was the victor, with Alex Marquez third.

“You have no idea how long I have been waiting for this. I could’ve won it but Balda touched me and I got a bit out of shape on the brakes," said Gardner. "I did it to the other guys so I’m not going to complain, but I should have given him a bit more room and been a bit smarter with that tactic.

"I never gave up. Every time someone passed me, I was like no, I want this, and after losing out in Qatar by two hundredths when I saw Schrotter in front of me I thought, it’s not happening this time and so I just pulled my finger out and gave it everything.

"I have no words, I am a bit emotional. Massive thanks to the team, they have believed in me from the start and to everyone who has been sending tweets and messages on Facebook, thank you.”