Moto GP visits Argentina

Photos: MotoGP

As the commentators could not stop pointing out, the third race on the Moto GP calendar marked the first time in 15 years that the world’s premier motorcycle racing circus had visited South America.

Set at a brand-new track (Autodromo Termas de Rio Hondo ) in the relatively remote north-western corner of Argentina, the riders in all three classes seemed determined to show their best to their new audience. Practice and qualifying brought no surprises, really.

The track – literally brand-new – had a dusty, abrasive surface that took a long time to clear up and come in, but the usual group of fast guys in each class were out front. Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez annihilated the rest of the Moto GP group, usually 3/4 second or more faster; Esteve Rabat didn’t have as much of a stranglehold on Moto 2 but still looked well in control of the group, while Australian Jack Miller managed to stay atop the unruly mass of Moto 3 riders.

On race day, things changed more than a little. The Moto GP start, and indeed first few laps, looked more like a Moto 3 gunslinging match, with probably more passing, crashes, and eye-popping action than we’ve seen from the class all year. Marquez, far from rocketing away from his pole position, was mired in seventh after the first lap, and his team-mate Dani Pedrosa (also starting on the front row) was right beside him.

Meanwhile, Yamaha ace Jorge Lorenzo was back to his usual metronomic and fiercely fast self after two horrible races to start his season. This time he made his usual amazing start from the second row and slowly pulled away from the rest of the field, while behind him Andrea Iannone (where’d that come from?), Andrea Dovioso, Stefan Bradl, and Valentino Rossi were banging into and past one another like a bunch of wide-eyed rookies intent on impressing the team bosses. It was pretty spectacular, and a great change from the usual – let’s face it – slightly boring Moto GP races.

Meanwhile, Marquez and Pedrosa were scything their way back up the field, eventually catching up to Lorenzo. Marquez made a hard but fair pass and cleared off to eventually finish three seconds ahead of Lorenzo, while Pedrosa also caught up and squeezed by Lorenzo on the last lap to complete an all-
Spanish podium and the second Repsol Honda 1-2 in a row.

Post-race Marquez, as usual, looked like he’d been having a wonderful time. “I enjoyed it a lot,  especially at the beginning fighting with all the riders! We overtook I don’t know how many times but it was so nice! I enjoyed it, but it was quite a big risk and I saw that Jorge started to open up a gap.

“So I tried to catch him, then when I was behind him I followed for some laps. With nine laps I started to push a little bit more because I saw Dani was coming and then I just kept the distance. The key to this race was to manage the tires well, especially the rear.”

His team-mate, by contrast, had a commonly glum view of the same action. “I was just unfortunate that I was not so quick at the beginning of the race and after all the mess around lap one I was stuck with the group,” said Pedrosa. “Even after when I was into third it took me some laps to get into a rhythm, … I felt comfortable on the bike at the end and enjoyed it, but I kind of hated it because I was alone in third.”

Lorenzo was relieved to be back to normal. “It is probably my sweetest third position in Moto GP, or maybe all my career! I arrived after two mistakes (at Qatar and Austin) but I think I received too much criticism … It’s true I made some mistakes, but I’ve made very good races over the past years.

“We demonstrated that even when we are not in our best shape, or in our best moment, we can still fight with these two guys. I think we have to keep pushing like now and when our moment arrives we will be prepared to try to win races.”

Rossi, Bradl, and Iannone provided most of the entertainment up to about 2/3 distance, when they finally settled down in that order. A bit farther back, the three customer Hondas of Nicky Hayden (Drive M7 Aspar), his team-mate Hiroshi Aoyama, Karel Abraham (Cardion AB Racing), and Scott Redding (Go&Fun Gresini) had a good battle for most of the race, Aoyama getting past Hayden on the run to the flag when the American ran a touch wide on the penultimate corner. Hayden was furious with himself, Aoyama delighted at by far his best result on the bike so far.

Moto 2

Tito Rabat (Marc VDS Racing Team) cruised to victory in Moto 2 on his Kalex, taking the hole-shot from pole and leading to the finish line. He was followed home by Xavier Simeon (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) and Luis Salom (Pons HP 40).

Rabat’s second win of the season gives him a strong 28-point lead – more than a race win – as the Moto GP crowd heads back to Europe.

Simeon put in a solid performance but could not make up any ground, and settled for second (a career high finish). After a near-race-long long battle with Simone Corsi, Luis Salom finally broke free and was the highest placing class rookie in third, his first Moto2 podium finish. The Spaniard also went on to set the fastest lap of the race after losing time battling for position.

It’s worth noting an excellent race from Mika Kallio, who rode from 14th to seventh in his 200th Grand Prix start. The Finn has raced in 125 and 250 GP as well as Moto GP before settling into his present role in Moto 2.

Moto 3

This was one of the best Moto 3 races in a long time, with four riders bashing one another into the penultimate corner of the last lap. Unfortunately for series leader Jack Miller, the bashing was more than figurative, as winner Romano Fenati, riding for Valentino Rossi’s SKY Racing Team VR46, first bumped Alex Marquez then hit Miller hard, forcing the Australian wide and pushing him back to third.

It was a hard move that Race Direction spent some time reviewing, but in the end let it go except for later giving him a one-point penalty for “irresponsible riding causing danger to other competitors.”

Fenati apologized in parc ferme, saying he’d lost the front end and didn’t do it deliberately; Miller finally reluctantly shook his hand but was certainly far from pleased. He still carries a decent series lead into the next round of races back in Europe.

Perhaps the most impressive Moto 3 ride of the day was by Livio Loi, the young Belgian celebrating his 17th birthday (although he looks about 12) by racing from ninth to fourth, nearly catching Miller for the podium after the latter’s contretemps with Fenati.

Moto GP standings after three of 18 races

1. Marc Marquez, Spain, Repsol Honda, 75 points
2. Dani Pedrosa, Spain, Repsol Honda, 56
3. Valentino Rossi, Italy, Yamaha Factory Racing, 41
4. Andrea Dovizioso, Italy, Ducati Team, 34
5. Andrea Iannone, Italy, Pramac Racing Ducati, 25
6. Stefan Bradl, Germany, LCR Honda, 24
7. Jorge Lorenzo, Spain, Yamaha Factory Racing, 22
8. Aleix Espargaro, Spain, NGM Mobile Forward Racing Yamaha, 21
9. Bradley Smith, U.K., Monster Tech 3 Yamaha, 20
10. Tie, Pol Espargaro, Spain, Monster Tech 3 Yamaha / Nicky Hayden, U.S.A., Drive M7 Aspar Honda, 18

GALLERY

Check out all the pics that go with this story! Click on the main sized pic to transition to the next or just press play to show in a slideshow.

Jack Miller (8) managed his third consecutive podium. He’s doing well in the standings, but in the cutthroat racing world of Moto3, an injury could change that.

Dani Pedrosa was second, making this the second 1-2 Honda finish in as many races.

Andrea Iannone finished in sixth after spending time closer to the front at the race’s start. He ended up battling for position with Rossi and Bradl for much of the race.

Luis Salom celebrates his third-place finish.

After the race, Marquez was as chipper as ever, despite the challenge involved getting to the front.

Jorge Lorenzo was happy to be back on the podium.

John McPhee crashes in Moto3.

Maverick Vinales goes for a slide.