Marquez dominates as rivals implode

Repsol Honda's Marc Marquez has produced a brilliant front-running display to claim his first win of the season in Argentina on April 3, ahead of Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa.

FULL RESULTS

However, the result was far from routine, and it wasn't until the last turn of the race when the final order was settled after Ducati factory rider Andrea Iannone barrelled up the inside of his teammate Andrea Dovizioso, with both riders going down. At that late juncture, Dovizioso and Iannone were running second and third and guaranteed to finish on the podium, with Rossi too far in arrears to mount a late attack.

But luck was on the Rossi's side, and the Ducati mess saw him score his first podium of the season, while Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) was even more surprised to be standing on the dais after being well out of podium contention for most of the race. Dovizioso, meanwhile, wasn't finished with yet and he pushed his bike over the finish line to claim the 13th and final position in the race — and three valuable world championship points.

The FIM stewards didn't take kindly to Iannone's reckless actions, and he was subsequently hit with a three-spot grid penalty at next weekend's round in Austin, as well the addition of a penalty point to his riding record.

Earlier, world champion Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha) and Aussie Jack Miler (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS)  both crashed out — among others in a race of high attrition. Miller had produced a scintillating early burst of speed and was in sixth position — ahead of Lorenzo — when he went down.

In response to tyre endurance concerns, the race was cut from 25 to 20 laps and turned into a flag-to-flag encounter, with riders given a three-lap window between laps nine and 11 to complete a mandatory pit stop to switch machinery.

Marquez had problems following similar instructions in Australia a few years ago, but this time he got it right as he came into the pits with Rossi right on his hammer after the pair fought out a tight battle in the first half of the race — with a camera dangling off the back of Marquez's bike after he was hit by Iannone at turn one on the opening lap. Pedrosa was also caught up as collateral damage in that melee, running wide and losing a number of places.

After the pit stops, Marquez was in a league of his own and pulled away from the pursuing pack, eventually winning by nearly eight seconds.

“I’m really happy with this win because we’ve worked very, very hard during the pre-season, in Qatar and here," said Marquez. "Honda is working very well and I feel the support; we’re going in the same direction, and that’s the most important thing. It’s a special win, not only because it’s the first one of the year but also because with the team, we managed the situation very well, and after what happened in Australia on a similar occasion (in 2013), it was important for us to do well.
"I knew that the first part of the race would be tough because it was still damp in some places, and with the first bike I hadn’t felt as good as with the other one even during practice. I knew that the second part of the race was the key. I pushed 100 percent in the first five laps after the bike change, I opened a gap and after that I just kept the distance.”

Marquez now leads the championship on 41 points from Rossi (33), Pedrosa (27), Lorenzo (25), Dovizioso (23) and Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech 3, 19).

Rossi didn't have the same venom after his pit stop and, as well as the factory Ducatis, Ecstar Suzuki's Maverick Vinales was also in the mix for second spot. Vinales then crashed with three laps to go, leaving the battle for second spot down to three riders — and then one as Iannone lost the plot…

Eugene Laverty (Aspar Ducati) was an extremely impressive fourth — his best MotoGP result since arriving on the scene from world superbike — from Hector Barbera (Avintia Racing Ducati), Espargaro, Stefan Bradl (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), Tito Rabat (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) and Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini).

Aleix Espargaro (Ecstar Suzuki) and Michele Pirro (Octo Pramac Yakhnich), deputising for the injured Danilo Petrucci, were the last riders to finish at speed, followed by Dovizioso at a comparative snail's pace.

Aleix and Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) were others to crash — Crutchlow twice. Scott Redding (Octo Pramac Yakhnich) retired with a mechanical problem.

Miller said he "felt good" before his crash.

"I was comfortable and pushing hard to try and make a break from Lorenzo when I lost the front in turn three," the Queenslander said. "It didn’t quite work out this time and it is disappointing but there are plenty of positives to take from this weekend. We move on and try to show our potential in Austin.”

MotoGP results
1. Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda, 434m13.628s
2. Valentino Rossi, Movistar Yamaha +7.679s
3. Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda, +28.100s

Australian
DNF Jack Miller, EG 0,0 Marc VDS, +17 laps

Pole position: Marquez, 1:39.411 = 174km/h
Fastest lap: Marquez, 1:40.243 = 172.5km/h

Championship top 3
Marquez 41 • Rossi 33 • Pedrosa 27

MOTO2
Victory for the cool head of world champion Johann Zarco (Ajo Motorsport) from polesitter Sam Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini) and early leader Jonas Folger (Dynavolt Intact GP).

The trio, as well as Franco Morbidelli (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS), pulled a gap from the start, as the likes of Alex Rins (Paginas Amarillas HP 40) and Hafizh Syahrin (Petronas Raceline Malaysia) tried to gain on the leaders.

But it was Zarco who returned to the top step of the podium for the first time since the Malaysian GP in 2015, in what was his second win in Argentina.

“Honestly, I did not know if I was really strong in these conditions, but before the race I thought I should be careful," said Zarco. "Being in the lead group was very important, because then it would have been more difficult to reduce any gap later on. I started to get in control and did everything I could to avoid the wettest areas of the track, then began to push.

"In the end I succeeded. I am very happy with the victory, and after Qatar this is fantastic. I hope things go the same way in Texas.”

Rins ended up in fourth from Dominique Aegerter (CarXpert Interwetten) and Syahrin, while Morbidelli crashed out of second on the penultimate lap.

Round one winner Tom Luthi (Garage Plus Interwetten) maintains the championship lead after finishing seventh in Argentina.

Moto2 results
1 Johann Zarco, Ajo Motorsport, 40m57.806
2. Alex Lowes, Federal Oil Gresini, +1.347s
3. Jonas Folger, Dynavolt Intact GP, +2.754s

Pole position: Lowes, 1:43.347 = 167.4km/h
Fastest lap: Folger, 1:44.345 = 165.8km/h                    

Championship top 3
Tom Luthi 34 • Zarco 29 • Lowes 27

MOTO3
In just his third world championship race, Malaysian Khairul Idham Pawi (Honda Team Asia) charged to an unbelievable victory in a race that was declared wet but saw the entire field bar one (Livio Loi) start on slick tyres.

Pawi hit the lead soon after the start, and even Loi wasn't unable to keep pace with the demonic speed set by the leader, who was up to three seconds a lap faster than anyone else as he crossed the finish line 26.170 seconds ahead of Jorge Navarro (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Honda), with polesitter Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in third. Binder also took the championship lead in the process.

Pawi is the first Malaysian rider to win a GP, and he was understandably ecstatic.

“For the race today I am so happy! There were difficult conditions on the track but I tried to keep my lap time and hang onto first position," Pawi said. "I pushed really hard in the first lap to escape from the others. It’s good for me this race, thank you.”

Moto3 results
1. Khairul Idham Pawi, Honda Team Asia, 41m35.452s
2. Jorge Navarro, Estrella Galicia 0,0 Honda, +26.170
3. Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Ajo, +30.060s

Pole position: Binder, 1:49.767 = 157.6km/h
Fastest lap: Joan Mir, Leopard Racing KTM, 1:56.365 = 148.6km/h

Championship top 3
Binder 36 • Niccolo Antonelli 31 • Navarro 29

Next round: Austin, Texas, April 8-10