15.03.2025
MotoGP 2025 - Round 02 of 22, Termas de Rio Hondo, Argentina – Qualification and Sprint
- 12-laps of hard-paced charging by Pedro Acosta under cloudy skies in Argentina to take 9th in the Sprint after launching from a second row start earned through Q2 earlier in the day
- Brad Binder moved into Q2 directly on Friday after positive modifications to the balance of his KTM RC16. He DNF-ed the Sprint after qualifying 11th
- Enea Bastianini classifies 14th on Saturday after pushing back from a Q1 berth of 21st on the grid. 20th after Q2, Maverick Viñales rides to 18th
- Alvarao Carpe and Jose Antonio Rueda follow-up their excellent performances in Thailand for the Moto3™ season opener by both qualifying on the second row as KTM RC4s fill eight of the top ten slots
Cooler climes for MotoGP at the second round of the season and the long switch from Asia to Argentina. The busy venue of Termas de Rio Hondo reappeared on the Grand Prix calendar after a one-year hiatus and the near-5km layout provided slick and low-grip conditions for the Practice runs on a cloudy Friday and then through the Qualification and Sprint program on Saturday.
Pedro Acosta had to deduce the best markers and trajectories of Termas for the first time. The super-talent quickly got to work with the #37 machine and was joined near the peak of the time sheets by Brad Binder, winner of the Sprint last time in Termas, who continued to dial-in the optimum base setting for the #33. Both made the direct cut to Q2 on Friday.
The Red Bull KTM Tech3 pitbox was hectic with more set-up modifications for both Maverick Viñales and Enea Bastianini. The Spaniard and Italian were 20th and 21st after Q1. On Saturday afternoon the Sprint gave the field the exact half race distance of the Grand Prix on Sunday. The dash for points for the first nine positions involved Acosta who reached as high as 5th but then strived for optimal traction and passed the flag in 9th. Binder had contact with another rider in the third sector of the first lap and hit the ground, thankfully unharmed. Bastianini and Viñales pushed hard to cross the line in 14th and 18th respectively.
European audiences under CET time can watch the MotoGP Grand Prix from 19.00 on Sunday.
Pedro Acosta, 5th in qualification, 9th in the Sprint: “Difficult to understand the Sprint today. We need to work out how to put more traction and drive on the ground. We made a good start today and didn’t lose positions in the first laps. We are spinning too much but, well, we finished the race, took a point and can now look to the next one. We need to make a step.”
Brad Binder, 11th in qualification, DNF in the Sprint: “Definitely a shorter race than I would have liked. I got an average start and going into Turn 7 I made a position and then on the cutback didn’t know someone was there next to me. We had some contact and the second we touched I lost the front. Not ideal but part of the game and we’ll see what we can do tomorrow. I think we’ll be OK in the longer race.”
Enea Bastianini, 21st in qualification, 14th in the Sprint: “To be honest I was confident of being fast here but we struggled a bit yesterday and this morning in the qualifying. For the Sprint we did something more and usually I can do something more in the races! We are not at 100%. I need more feeling…and we need to work.”
Maverick Viñales, 20th in qualification, 18th in the Sprint: “It’s been a day of learning. Every session we made some changes to understand the bike more, but I don’t think it was the right way in the end because the differences were too big and I didn’t have any feeling. This is what happened in the Sprint. It took me too many laps to understand the set-up and there was no time. I think we need to recap the pre-season - and what we know so far - and try to ride the bike.”
Aki Ajo, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “Our general performance here has been a bit better than in Thailand and practice yesterday was promising but we cannot be happy with the Sprint results. We need to analyze what happened to Pedro and that will be important to make decisions for Sunday. Unfortunately, Brad was pushed out by another rider and his race was over before it really began. We’ll keep working and keep pushing and see what more we can do tomorrow and to take from Termas.”
Grand Prix of Argentina photographs can be found HERE
Results Qualifying MotoGP Grand Prix of Argentina
1. Marc Marquez (ESP) Ducati 1:36.917
2. Alex Marquez (ESP) Ducati +0.246
3. Johann Zarco (FRA) Honda +0.288
5. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +0.357
11. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +0.785
20. Maverick Viñales (ESP) Red Bull KTM Tech3 1:38.246 (Q1)
21. Enea Bastianini (ITA) Red Bull KTM Tech3 1:38.328 (Q1)
Results MotoGP Sprint Grand Prix of Argentina
1. Marc Marquez (ESP) Ducati 19:37.331
2. Alex Marquez (ESP) Ducati +0.903
3. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) Ducati +3.859
9. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +11.229
14. Enea Bastianini (ITA) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +18.442
18. Maverick Viñales (ESP) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +21.287
DNF. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
KTM GP Academy
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Jose Antonio Rueda was eager to arrive in Termas for only his second attempt at the track but also to extend the positive form and confidence gleaned from his Moto3 victory in Thailand. The Spaniard worked on both his race pace and one-lap potential through the sessions and thrived through the Q2 dash to record a chrono just 0.6 from Pole and P6 on the grid. Teammate and 2025 rookie Alvaro Carpe – fresh from his own milestone podium rush at Buriram two weeks previously – had to work out the best lines in Argentina and was 5th fastest, a hundredth of a second ahead of Rueda. Meanwhile Red Bull KTM Tech3 pairing, Valentin Perrone and Joel Esteban, acquired 9th and 10th places on the grid. As an Argentine, Perrone was in demand and feeling the spotlight of his first home Grand Prix but the youngster seemed unfazed and was just 0.8 from the Pole effort. Moto3 will launch race day with a 19-lap whirlwind at 16.00 CET.
Deniz Öncü and Collin Veijer made their next steps in Moto2. The Red Bull KTM Ajo are both new to the demands of Termas with the intermediate class machinery. Öncü was 19th and Veijer 25th. Moto2 will get underway at 17.15 CET for 21 laps.
Results Qualifying Moto3 Grand Prix of Argentina
1. Matteo Bertelle (ITA) KTM 1:46.034
2. Angel Piqueras (ESP) KTM +0.232
3. Ryusei Yamanaka (JPN) KTM +0.296
5. Alvaro Carpe (ESP), Red Bull KTM Ajo +0.611
6. Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP), Red Bull KTM Ajo +0.628
9. Valentin Perrone (ARG) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +0.862
10. Joel Esteban (ESP), Red Bull KTM Tech3 +0.868
11. Dennis Foggia (ITA) CFMOTO Aspar Team +0.939
25. Jakub Rosenthaler (AUT) CFMOTO Aspar Team 1:49.579 (Q1)
Results Qualifying Moto2 Grand Prix of Argentina
1. Manuel Gonzalez (ESP) 1:40.870
2. Jake Dixon (GBR) +0.200
3. Marcos Ramirez (ESP) +0.226
14. Daniel Holgado (ESP) CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team +0.536
19. Deniz Öncü (TUR) Red Bull KTM Ajo 1:41.628 (Q1)
20. David Alonso (COL) CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team 1:41.734 (Q1)
25. Collin Veijer (NED) Red Bull KTM Ajo 1:42.204 (Q1)
PRESS CONTACT
Evangelia Sissis
PR Manager MotoGP
+43 676 665 2742
evangelia.sissis@ktm.com