Starting from pole position, Marc Márquez wanted to dominate the race from the front. However, his brother took advantage of a small mistake by him on lap 4 and took the lead. Marc had to fight hard to overtake him again and took great risks in doing so. “Alex impressed me today, I was in awe of him. He was consistently incredibly fast,” said the six-time MotoGP champion after the race.
Morbidelli back on the podium
Franco Morbidelli from the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Team completed the podium in third place. The Italian opted for the soft rear tire and demonstrated good tire management to keep Pecco Bagnaia behind him. Morbidelli, who last stood on a MotoGP podium almost four years ago, is now hoping to build on this performance and achieve further success this season.
Shock for Ogura: disqualification after breaking the rules
MotoGP rookie Ai Ogura made headlines when he was subsequently disqualified. The Japanese rider, who finished in 8th place, lost his position due to a non-homologated software version (V21 b102) on his Trackhouse-Aprilia. The MotoGP stewards panel determined that Ogura had violated Article 2.4.3.5.3 of the MotoGP regulations, which led to immediate disqualification.
According to Aprilia Technical Director Fabiano Sterlacchini, it was a mistake following a crash by Ogura in which the ECU of the replacement bike was used. “It was an ECU that we had used during the tests. We were testing new software that will not be approved until the middle of the season,” explained Sterlacchini. This did not give Ogura a performance or handling advantage, but the team had to accept the race organizers’ decision. As a result, the Japanese driver loses eight championship points and drops to 8th place in the overall standings.
Outlook for the Grand Prix in Austin
The next race will take place from March 28 to 31, 2025 at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Texas. Marc Márquez has often dominated there in the past. The question remains: Can he continue his winning streak, or will someone break through his supremacy? The answer will be revealed in a few weeks’ time in Austin.
Race result MotoGP Las Termas, Argentina (March 16, 2025):
- Marc Márquez (E), Ducati, 25 laps in 41:11.100 min
- Alex Márquez (E), Ducati, +1.362 sec
- Franco Morbidelli (I), Ducati, +4.695
- Francesco Bagnaia (I), Ducati, +5.536
- Fabio Di Giannantonio (I), Ducati, +7.138
- Johann Zarco (F), Honda, +7.487
- Brad Binder (ZA), KTM, +14.294
- Pedro Acosta (E), KTM, +15.646
- Joan Mir (E), Honda, +15.787
- Luca Marini (I), Honda, +16.025
- Alex Rins (E), Yamaha, +21.663
- Maverick Viñales (E), KTM, +22.319
- Jack Miller (AUS), Yamaha, +23.486
- Fabio Quartararo (F), Yamaha, +25.148
- Raul Fernandez (E), Aprilia, +26.914
- Fermin Aldeguer (E), Ducati, +27.661
- Enea Bastianini (I), KTM, +40.179
- Somkiat Chantra (T), Honda, +41.693
– Marco Bezzecchi (I), Aprilia, 25 laps down
– Disqualified: Ai Ogura (J)
World Championship standings after 4 of 44 races:
- M. Márquez, 74 points.
- A. Márquez 58.
- Bagnaia 43.
- Morbidelli 37.
- Zarco 25.
- Di Giannantonio 22.
- Binder 19.
- Ogura 17.
- Bezzecchi 14.
- Acosta 13.
- Mir 10.
- Marini 10.
- Miller 8.
- Bastianini 7.
- Quartararo 6.
- Rins 5.
- Viñales 4.
- Aldeguer 3.
- Oliveira 2.
- Fernandez 1.
- Chantra 0.
- Savadori 0.
Constructors’ Championship:
- Ducati, 74 points.
- Honda 26.
- Aprilia 22.
- KTM 22.
- Yamaha 13.
Team World Championship:
- Ducati Lenovo Team, 117 points.
- BK8 Gresini Racing 61.
- Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing 59.
- Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 32.
- LCR Castrol Honda 25.
- Honda HRC Castrol Team 20.
- Trackhouse MotoGP Team 18.
- Aprilia Racing 14.
- Red Bull KTM Tech3 11.
- Monster Energy Yamaha 11.
- Prima Pramac Yamaha Racing 10.
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