Marco Bezzecchi
The 2025 MotoGP season continues with the Argentina Grand Prix this weekend. It’s the sport’s first visit to Termas de Rio Hondo since 2023 after last year’s race was cancelled due to insufficient government funding.
Marc Marquez carries an eight-point lead into the event after leading his brother Alex home at the season-opener in Thailand. Ducati already boast nearly double the points of second-place Gresini after Francesco Bagnaia completed the podium.
Marquez has missed the last two editions of the Argentina Grand Prix through injury. This, combined with its Covid-enforced absence from the 2020 and 2021 calendars, means he hasn’t raced at the circuit since 2019.
Then-VR46 rider Marco Bezzecchi secured his maiden MotoGP victory on the sport’s last visit in 2023. Honda are the most successful team in Argentina with three wins overall.
Which rider will take pole position for the 2025 Argentina Grand Prix?
David Comerford: He hasn’t raced here for five years, back when he was still on a Honda motorcycle. But that will be forgotten by the end of the next weekend. Only the bravest MotoGP fans would look past Marc Marquez after the seemingly effortless dominance of Buriram.
Shay Rogers: Marc Marquez. It doesn’t need too much explaining by now. He has that extra tenth in his pocket over his rivals and unless he suffers a disaster, he should have this in the bag. Francesco Bagnaia needs to be right behind him this week, he cannot afford to be third.
Tyler Rowlinson: We’re only one race into the 2025 MotoGP season and it is hard to look past Marc Marquez dominating the field again in Argentina. Termas is a historically strong track for the Spaniard with its low-grip nature suiting his riding style. Teammate Francesco Bagnaia has to find an answer for his Ducati teammate sooner than later, but it will not come in Argentina.
Who will finish on the podium at the Argentina Grand Prix?
David Comerford: Marc Marquez, Francesco Bagnaia, Marco Bezzecchi. After the disappointment of losing out to the younger Marquez brother in Thailand, Bagnaia will at least get second this time. Bezzecchi will score the first non-Ducati podium of the year, but more on that below.
Shay Rogers: Marc Marquez, Francesco Bagnaia, Ai Ogura. The first two are fairly self-explanatory as Ducati have a clear advantage over their rivals. The surprise would be leaving Alex Marquez off the podium despite a great race in Thailand. I was so impressed by Ai Ogura and his aura in Buriram that I think he can sneak onto the rostrum this weekend.
Tyler Rowlinson: Marc Marquez, Francesco Bagnaia, Franco Morbidelli. Marquez will take another commanding win but his teammate will be closer than he was in Buriram. Luigi Dall’Igna told Bagnaia to ‘remember last year’ after the season opener, which will give him a clearer mind to attack his teammate.
It will be an all-Ducati podium, but it will not be Alex Marquez this time with the factory riders. Franco Morbidelli produced a solid debut for VR46 despite being handed a three-place grid penalty for impeding Bagnaia in practice. The Italian will be keen to go one step further and one feels he is capable of just that.
Who is the rider to watch at the Argentine GP?
David Comerford: He won here in 2023 and in the lightweight class, so I’m going with Marco Bezzecchi. It was hard not to be a little disappointed by his showing in Buriram after all the pre-season talk that he’ll lead Aprilia in Jorge Martin’s absence. But Ai Ogura showed the pace of the motorcycle, and Bezzecchi will unleash it this weekend.
Shay Rogers: Pedro Acosta. The Spaniard desperately needs to bounce back from a poor KTM factory team debut. The earlier he stamps down his authority over the three other riders using his bike, the better. They should be a bit faster in Argentina too.
Tyler Rowlinson: Pedro Acosta. MotoGP’s rising talent will be desperate for redemption in Argentina after his crash in Thailand. There are still question marks over KTM’s performance in 2025 but the 20-year-old’s potential on the RC16 is without question.
Acosta displayed top-five pace according to his crew after he fell off his bike in Buriram. If he can keep two wheels on the track, he will have a solid weekend this time out.
Which rider will be the biggest disappointment in Termas de Rio Hondo?
David Comerford: Ai Ogura. To be clear, I still expect him to score points this weekend. But a comedown from the remarkable heights of Thailand feels inevitable. If he bags that kind of result consistently, he’ll soon be regarded as a future superstar.
Shay Rogers: Fabio Quartararo. Maybe Yamaha’s pre-season promise was all a bluff? I might be getting this extremely wrong, but if things don’t go well in Argentina, serious questions will be posed as to whether they now have the slowest bike on the grid. They will be hoping to extract a little more this weekend.
Tyler Rowlinson: Johann Zarco was perhaps the biggest surprise of Thailand after he finished seventh in the race. Joan Mir would have also scored points if he had not fallen off his Honda at the final corner and retired from the race.
The Japanese manufacturer feel they have taken a step forward, but one questionshow big of an improvement it will be over the full campaign. It may seem harsh, but I am not expecting too much from Honda or Zarco this weekend.
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