Marc Márquez and the Ducati Lenovo Team wrapped up the Argentine GP with a win in the 25-lap race that was contested today at the ‘Autodromo Internacional de Termas de Río Hondo’. Francesco Bagnaia crossed the line in fourth place.
Márquez had a great start from pole position but was overtaken by his brother Alex during lap four. Marc managed to retake the lead with five laps to go and pulled away in the final stages. Bagnaia had an excellent start from row two as he entered turn one in third place, which he lost on lap four courtesy of Morbidelli and was unable to get it back.
As the second GP of the season draws to a close, Márquez still holds a perfect score with 74 points, while Bagnaia is third and 31 points in arrears. The Ducati Lenovo Team leads the teams’ standings with 117 points, with Ducati on top of the manufacturers’ standings (74 points).
The next event on the calendar will take place in a fortnight’s time at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas.
Marc Márquez (#93 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1st
“The race pace was incredible and a had a few moments in the final laps. Alex pushed me to the limit: we were both able to lap in the low 1’38s, and we really made the different. It wasn’t easy to overtake him, as the only spot was at turn five. The first time I tried, I ended up wide, but then I was able to make it stick at the second attempt as I was a lot closer to him. I’m happy for my team as they did an incredible job. We weren’t in such a perfect condition as in Buriram, my riding was not as smooth, but the lap-times came and that’s what matters. I can’t wait for the next race weekend at Austin, especially given the moment we’re living right now.”
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 4th
“I tried to keep a consistent pace, but my strategy didn’t work. When Franco (Morbidelli) passed me, I tried to stay with him, but I struggled a little bit. I managed to get up to speed in the final laps, but I had no chance to try and overtake me. It’s true that we narrowed the gap down, but not enough. Our pace was similar to the frontrunners, but not close enough to finish on the podium. I still miss the feeling I had last year, despite the two bikes being very similar, but we’re working on it and we’ll try to make another step forward at Austin. We need to stay focused because it’s a long season, and it’s important to finish every race, and with the best possible result.”
Luigi Dall’Igna (Ducati Corse General Manager)
“This is a track where we always struggled in the past. Having five Ducati machines in the top give is therefore a very important result and especially with all three of our teams on the podium, which is a great sign. Marc put together another perfect weekend and there’s not much to say about it, the results speak for themselves. Pecco had more of a challenging time and we’re working hard to find a solution. He still did a great job to score the best possible result and I’m sure he’ll be back to the level we know well, and very soon.”
