Tissot Sprint Race
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). That’s it, that’s the sentence. The South African produced a stunning performance to win the Gran Premio Michelin de la República Argentina Tissot Sprint from P15 on the grid, slicing through early on and then hanging on ahead of a charging Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) on the final lap… by just 0.072s. Luca Marini made it a Mooney VR46 Racing Team double podium with a hard-fought P3.

It was a fast and ferocious start as Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) got a phenomenal launch to briefly lead into the first corner, but it was polesitter Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) who grabbed P1 early doors as the Italian ran wide. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) got shuffled down the pack on Lap 1, the Championship leader in P7 from the front row as Binder picked his way through the pack like a knife through butter – the South African was P4 on Lap 1 from 15th on the grid!

It was breathless. Morbidelli was the new leader halfway around Lap 1 and led until Binder got the better of him on Lap 3. The top nine raced line astern: Binder, Morbidelli, Marini, Alex Marquez, Bagnaia, Bezzecchi, Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia Racing teammate Maverick Viñales and Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) were split by 1.6s with seven laps to go.

Where do you look? Passes galore! Binder, Morbidelli and Marini became a stable top three for a few laps as a fierce battle raged 0.5s behind. Fabio Quartararo(Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was getting into the mix too, clinging onto the back of Martin to make it a 10-rider lead group as we entered the final five laps.

With four to go, Binder’s lead was up to 0.5s as Marini swarmed all over the back of second-placed Morbidelli. The former made a move stick at Turn 9 before we saw a little drama and Aleix Espargaro slid out unhurt, the 2022 winner looking for more on Sunday. Bezzecchi then followed teammate Marini through on Morbidelli. Moments later, the number 72 also dispatched Marini and then locked his radar on Binder, who was now 0.7s up.

Last lap time. The gap was down to 0.4s between Binder and Bezzecchi, with Marini 0.3s shy of his teammate’s rear wheel in P3. Binder held firm through sectors 1, 2 and 3, but Bezzecchi was eyeing up a final complex move – and he was closing. Binder defended well though and there was no way through at Termas’ famous penultimate corner for Bezzecchi, who was forced to follow the KTM home as Binder won the second-ever Tissot Sprint. From 15th on the grid! It was an unreal effort from the KTM stalwart as the Mooney VR46 duo finish a brilliant P2 and P3.

Morbidelli held onto P4 and one of his best results for some time, fending off Alex Marquez, Bagnaia and Viñales. Martin pipped Quartararo for P8 as the latter picked up the final Sprint point in P9. The points scorers were split by just 3.8s in a truly epic 12-lap dash.

MotoGP Tissot Sprint Argentina Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – KTM
2 Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) – Ducati – +0.072
3 Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) – Ducati – +0.877

Sunday
Take a bow, Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team)! From start to finish, the Italian MotoGP sophomore was untouchable as he produced a wet weather masterclass to claim a debut premier class victory – and with it, the World Championship lead. There were plenty of storylines as a charging Johann Zarco(Prima Pramac Racing) grabbed a late P2 to beat Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) to the rostrum, and reigning World Champion Francesco Bagnaia(Ducati Lenovo Team) crashed unhurt from P2, ultimately crossing the line in P16. 

The threat of a flag-to-flag race loomed but more rain fell after the Moto2 race as the premier class revved up for a 25-lap fully wet encounter. After an atmospheric national anthem through the rain, Bezzecchi grabbed the holeshot from polesitter Alex Marquez, with Bagnaia third and Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) slotting into P4. Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) didn’t get away well, and Tissot Sprint hero Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) crashed at Turn 5 after contact with the Aprilia rider too.

Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) then lost out at Turn 7 to Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) as the two almost came together, and the Frenchman dropped to P16 in the early exchanges. But as the race settled down, Bezzecchi was able to stretch out a second lead over Alex Marquez, with Bagnaia and Morbidelli keeping in touch. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP) was a winner in the early stages as well, up to P5 but with the gap to Morbidelli hovering around 2.7s.

With 17 laps left on the clock, Bezzecchi’s lead was up to two seconds. A lap later it was 2.6s. The Italian was a class apart from the chasing pack in the early stages, and as the Grand Prix approached race distance, his lead kept on creeping up. Bagnaia was keeping second-placed Alex Marquez on his toes too as just 0.9s split the duo, with Morbidelli sitting 1.5s back from Pecco in a comfortable P4.

On Lap 15 of 25, Alex Marquez and Bagnaia engaged in battle. After a couple of attempts, the reigning Champion finally got the better of Marquez, and Morbidelli closed in too. But then, drama. At the penultimate corner at the end of Lap 17, Bagnaia tucked the front. The former World Championship leader was down, not out, but he re-joined in P16. That promoted Alex Marquez into P2 and Morbidelli into P3, with the two then looking over their shoulders for Zarco. The Frenchman was setting a blistering pace and a podium wasn’t out of reach, the number 5 3.7s back from Morbidelli’s Yamaha.

With five to go, Zarco kept gobbling up the metres. The deficit was now 2.1s, as countryman Quartararo also made good late race progress. The #20 was up to P7 from the very back of the pack. With four to go, it was down to 1.4s on Zarco watch. Morbidelli was coming under pressure first, but so was Marquez if the latter wanted to keep his P2 intact.

At Turn 7 with two and a half laps to go, Zarco was through on Morbidelli for P3. Now, the Frenchman locked his radar on Marquez’ GP22. And on the last lap at Turn 5, Marquez could do nothing but watch Zarco stick his GP23 up the inside and slice on through. The Frenchman was on a roll.

A few seconds up the road, Bezzecchi was on even more of a roll. The Italian rounded the final corner to cross the line as a MotoGP race winner and World Championship leader after a flawless race, a class apart on Sunday. Zarco beat Marquez by half a second in what was another stunning comeback ride, getting back on the podium for the first time since the Sachsenring last year. For his part, Alex Marquez makes it podiums on two different machines in the premier class.

Despite narrowly missing out on a return to the podium, a resurgent Morbidelli will be very pleased with a P4 after a very difficult run of form. P5 went the way of Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) came from P16 on the grid to finish P6, and Quartararo climbs from P16 to P7 in what was a great recovery ride from the 2021 World Champion.

Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), Alex Rins (LCR Honda Castrol) and Di Giannantonio rounded out the top 10, with rookie Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) going very well in P11. It was a disappointing day for Viñales and Aprilia Racing, however, with the Spaniard in P12 ahead of Nakagami, Raul Fernandez (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team) and a lowly 15th-placed Aleix Espargaro. Not the weekend the Noale factory were looking for. Bagnaia and Binder, the two crashers, crossed the line together in P16 and P17 – also a frustrating Sunday for both.

MotoGP Tissot Sprint Argentina Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) – Ducati
2 Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) – Ducati – +4.085
3 Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) – Ducati – +4.681

MARCO BEZZECCHI: “It was an unbelievable weekend for me, honestly, I didn’t expect this when I started from home. As soon as I started riding here I felt very well and really I was… I don’t know how to describe but I was at one with my bike. I felt incredibly good since the first moment. Yesterday was also very nice for me so this morning when I saw the rain I was really sad because I said ‘no, I was so good in the dry for sure now it will be difficult in the wet’. But then in the warm-up as soon as I jumped on the bike it was amazing so I started to believe again and I said ‘Well, I can do this’ and as soon I started I enjoyed riding a lot, I was really focused. Yeah everything went well and it was an amazing day also you know, it was a long journey but finally, it has come.”

Moto2
Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) was our last wet weather winner in the intermediate class, and the Italian did it again at Termas de Rio Hondo to take his first victory of the season. After a podium to begin the year in Portimao, the number 14 now leads the Championship to boot! Polesitter Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools Speed Up) was forced to settle for second after getting passed late on, with Jake Dixon(GASGAS Aspar) completing the podium and making his first visit to parc ferme this season.

There was immediate drama for Aron Canet (Pons Wegow Los40) as he jumped the start, gaining a double Long Lap for the trouble. Lopez’ start was the opposite and a little late, so it was Dixon into the lead early on. Soon enough, however, a breakaway group of Dixon, Lopez and Arbolino started to disappear into the distance.

After leading the way for much of the shortened 14-lap dash – due to weather conditions after Moto2 had no wet practice time – Lopez lost the lead in the final few laps with a small mistake, and then just couldn’t get back on terms with Arbolino. It remained close but not close enough, with the Italian taking victory by 0.663. Dixon, after that early lead, faded slightly but took home his first trophy of the season for third.

Canet stormed to an impressive recovery of fourth place, but he was somewhat upstaged by his teammate in those stakes. Via a Long Lap given after he caused contact with another rider in Q2, rookie Sergio Garcia still stormed from P28 on the grid all the way into the top five after a seriously impressive Sunday.

The rider in sixth also impressed: Darryn Binder (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP). The South African showed some chops as he settles into the intermediate class, with Filip Salač (QJMotor Gresini Moto2) next up. Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) was classified eighth after being demoted a position for last lap track limits, with Albert Arenas (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) completing the top ten.

So where was Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo)? It was a tougher Sunday for the star of the season opener, coming home in P12 and losing that points lead.

Moto2 Argentina Top Three (Full results here)
1 Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) – Kalex
2 Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp) – Boscoscuro – +0.663
3 Jake Dixon (Solunion GASGAS Aspar Team) – Kalex – +1.961

Moto3
Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) got back on the top step in stunning style at Termas de Rio Hondo, taking a Grand Prix win for the first time since 2020. The Japanese rider put in a wet weather masterclass to finish nearly five seconds clear of the chasing pack, with Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) and replacement rider Andrea Migno (CIP Green Power) completing the podium after a close fight to the flag.

Suzuki shot off into the lead early doors, and two of the first on the chase were Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) and Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing). But bad luck hit for both, Sasaki after contact with replacement rider David Almansa (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) saw him get a +1 position penalty before he crashed out, and Masia once he’d started to reel in his teammate. The number 5 also slid out.

Heading into the latter stages, the fight behind Suzuki saw Moreira, an impressive Almansa, Migno, Scott Ogden (VisionTrack Racing) and Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse) locked close together. Some drama hit as Ogden had a moment and then made contact with Almansa, the Spaniard crashing out and receiving no reward for an impressive performance replacing Joel Kelso, before more not too long after as Rossi slid out.

That left Moreira vs Migno and the Brazilian stayed ahead, claiming second in very different conditions to his first GP podium in Portugal. Migno was happy with third, however, showing his pace when called on as a replacement this weekend.

Ogden crossed the line fourth but was given a time penalty for the contact that saw Almansa crash out – the equivalent of two Long Laps – and the Brit is therefore classified fifth, behind Portuguese GP winner Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3), who retains the Championship lead. Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team), Kaito Toba (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Xavi Artigas (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) despite a crash, Ryusei Yamanaka (Autosolar GASGAS Moto3) and David Salvador (CIP Green Power). That’s a wrap on Termas, next up it’s… Texas! Join is again in a couple of weeks for more!

Moto3 Argentina Top Three (Full results here)
1 Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) – Honda
2 Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI ) – KTM – +4.571
3 Andrea Migno (CIP Green Power) – KTM – +4.699

The post MotoGP Race Reports: All The Action From Rd2 In Argentina appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Race One
Race 1 in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship had huge implications in the title fight at the Circuito San Juan Villicum during the Motul Argentinean Round, as Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed a commanding victory in Argentina while title rival Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) finished in 15th place after the reigning Championship had an opening-lap crash as he looked to pass Bautista.

With Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) taking the lead down the long back straight, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) tried to respond to lead into the infield section but lost the front of the bike and went crashing into the gravel. Razgatlioglu was able to re-join but was in last place. The incident cost Bautista time as he dropped back down to fourth place, behind Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) and iker Lecuona (Team HRC).

Bautista picked off Lecuona on Lap 4 to move into the podium places and only took two more laps to move into the lead of the race as he passed both Bassani and Rea on the back straight, after Bassani made a move for the lead on the second lap. Bautista was able to extend his lead at the front of the field for his 13th win of the season. Bautista was the only rider from the top three in the Championship to use the SCX tyre, with Rea and Razgatlioglu using the SC0. Victory also gave Bautista the 52nd podium of his WorldSBK career and the 25th of 2022.

Behind him, Bassani and Rea continued to fight it out for third place with the pair often inseparable throughout the lap. Rea made a move on Lap 8 to move into second place but Bassani was able to respond the following lap down the back straight while, on Lap 11, the pair went elbow to elbow throughout the final sector of the lap and down into Turn 1 on Lap 12; Bassani just holding on in that battle. The pair battled hard through sector four on Lap 18 with Rea making a move at Turn 15 and Bassani responding into Turn 16. On the run down to Turn 1, Rea outbraked Bassani into Turn 1 to stay ahead before fending off the Italian rider at the end of the back straight, going on to take second place ahead of Bassani in third. Rea’s second place was the 237th podium of his career and Kawasaki’s 395th race on the podium, while Bassani took his fourth podium and put Italy on the verge of a milestone having taken 399 podiums to date.

Lecuona was another who used the SCX tyre to take a strong result as he took fourth place after running in the podium places in the closing stages of the race, although he was unable to close the gap to the fighting Rea and Bassani ahead of him. He was ahead of Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in fifth place, with three Ducatis in the top five, finishing around two seconds back from Lecuona at the end of the 21-lap race. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) took sixth place as he made sure Kawasaki had two bikes inside the top six.

There was a three-rider fight for seventh place with Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) and Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) scrapping it out. It was Redding who took seventh place at the end of the race as he fended off the chasing Locatelli and Vierge, with the trio separated by around one second. On the last lap, Locatelli made a move on Vierge to take eighth place and demoted the Spanish rookie to ninth. Dutch rider Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed tenth place and rounded out the top ten.

French rider Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) took 11th spot after a strong race from the French rider, finishing 1.5s clear of Xavi Fores (BARNI Spark Racing Team) who took points on his return to the Championship with 12th place. Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) dropped down outside the points during the race but battled back to take 13th spot, ahead of Eugene Laverty (Bonovo Action BMW) in 14th place. Razgatlioglu showed enough pace to take home a single point after fighting back, passing Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) on the final lap. Baz had been running in the points but ran wide on Lap 16 at the end of the back straight.

German rookie Philipp Oettl (Team Goeleven) took 17th place after he was given a three-place grid penalty for Race 1 for slow riding in Free Practice 2, with Oettl fending off the Moto2-bound Kohta Nozane (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in 18th place. Rookie Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) took 19th place ahead of stand-in rider Maximilian Scheib (MIE Racing Honda Team) in 20th and Argentinean Marco Solorza (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) in 21st on his return to the Championship.

Home hero Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) was the first retirement of the race after the Argentinean rider had a Turn 14 crash on Lap 8. Mercado was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash.

WorldSBK Race One Argentina Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +5.141s
3 Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) +6.689s

Tissot Superpole Race
The Tissot Superpole Race for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship was ten laps of thrilling drama at the Circuito San Juan Villicum for the Motul Argentinean Round, as Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) claimed a hard-fought victory after a last-lap battle with Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in the ten-lap race. The pair were inseparable during the final few laps with Razgatlioglu taking victory by 0.613s.

Razgatlioglu took advantage of Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) running wide at Turn 1 when flicking from second to first gear and finding neutral at the start of Lap 6 to move into the lead of the race but had Bautista directly behind him. At Turn 8, Bautista made a move on Lap 8, but the reigning Champion responded instantly. A lap later and Bautista made a move at Turn 8, which put Razgatlioglu second, but he responded at Turn 1 at the start of Lap 10 to re-take the lead. On the final lap, Bautista made the same move at the same corner which forced Razgatlioglu to respond into Turn 9 and he did so, running the pair a little bit wide but staying on the track before holding on to take victory. It was a similar move that he tried to make in Race 1 on Saturday which ended up with him in the gravel; Razgatlioglu able to make it work on Sunday.

Razgatlioglu’s 29th career victory means he will line up from pole position for Race 2 this afternoon, with Bautista in second and Rea in third. Second was Bautista’s 53rd podium and the 170th for Spain while Rea took third place for his 238th career podium on his 230th start for Kawasaki. Rea also set the fastest lap in the race, making more history as he became the first rider to set 100 fastest laps in WorldSBK races.

Italian rider Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) took fourth place in the dramatic race as he came out on top in a three-rider fight for fourth place. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was fifth ahead of Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) in sixth place. The three riders were more than three seconds down on Rea in third but, at the end of the race, were separated by just over a second.

Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) will lead off the third row as he battled back to take seventh spot in the Superpole Race, finishing around two seconds clear of eighth-placed Xavi Vierge (Team HRC). Vierge was the highest-placed rider to use Pirelli’s SCQ tyre and battled his way into the top nine, finishing just 0.076s ahead of Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) who took the final place on row three for Race 2. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) just missed out on a spot in the top nine as he finished tenth, just 0.155s behind Baz.

WorldSBK Argentina Tissot Superpole Race Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
2 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.613s
3 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.856s

Race Two
A dramatic start to Race 2 for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship set the tone for the race at the Circuito San Juan Villicum with Spanish rider Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) took his second victory of the Motul Argentinean Round. The Spanish rider heads into the penultimate round of the season with an 82-point lead in the Championship standings, with Bautista able to take his first WorldSBK title next time out in Indonesia after beating Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) in Race 2.

Bautista had to fight his way back through the field after a poor start, which dropped him down to fifth place, and he picked off his rivals in the early stages of the race. On Lap 4, the Spanish rider made a move on second-placed Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) into Turn 8 before making a similar move on teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) a lap later. At the same time, Razgatlioglu who, like Bautista, lost out on the opening laps, was following Bautista through, with Razgatlioglu passing Lowes at Turn 10 on Lap 4 and then Rinaldi at Turn 1 on Lap 6.

Despite Razgatlioglu closing the gap throughout most of the lap to Bautista, the Spanish rider extended his lead down the long back straight and eventually pulled out a gap of around three seconds to the reigning Champion. Bautista’s victory gave him his 14th of his 2022 campaign and the 30th in WorldSBK, while it was also his 54th podium in WorldSBK. It was also Ducati’s 390th victory in the Championship. Razgatlioglu took his 77th career podium with second place and the 24th of his career, with Razgatlioglu now 83 points back from Bautista.

The battle for the podium places was between Lowes and teammate Jonathan Rea after the six-time Champion ran wide a couple of times in the early stages. Rea looked to pass Rinaldi at Turn 9 on Lap 2, which allowed Lowes through, before he ran wide again at the next corner and dropped down to sixth place. Rea battled his way past Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) at Turn 10 on Lap 6 to move into fifth before both Lowes and Rea passed Rinaldi on Lap 7. For the next 11 laps, Lowes was able to stay ahead of his teammate but Rea made the move at Turn 8 on Lap 18 to take third place for his 239th WorldSBK podium.

Lowes took fourth place, dropping around two seconds behind his teammate in the closing stages, although Lowes did have a four second margin to Rinaldi in fifth. Rinaldi was one rider who opted to use Pirelli’s SC0 tyre with most of the field using the SCX tyres. Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) put four manufacturers inside the top six as he took sixth place, with Rinaldi, Vierge and Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) in a three-way fight for fifth place. Lecuona finished two tenths behind teammate Vierge, who was seven tenths behind Rinaldi.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) leaves Argentina with eighth place after a battle with Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) in ninth place; the pair were separated by just one second at the end of the race. Redding led a trio of BMW riders as he finished in eighth place, with teammate Michael van der Mark in tenth, around one second down on teammate Redding, with Eugene Laverty (Bonovo Action BMW) in 11th; Laverty was the highest-placed Independent rider.

Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was around two seconds back from Laverty as he took 12th place, while he had a more than one second margin to the returning Xavi Fores (BARNI Spark Racing Team). Fores marked his return to WorldSBK with three consistent results, taking 12th in Race 1 and the Tissot Superpole Race and 13th in Race 2. Rookie Philipp Oettl (Team Goeleven) was 14th ahead of Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) who rounded out the points-paying positions.

Japanese rider Kohta Nozane (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) finished in 16th place and missed out on a point by just over a second, while Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) was 17th. Baz battled back from the rear of the field after he came off his bike following a Lap 2 collision with Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) at Turn 12. The incident was investigated by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards with Bassani deemed at fault, with the Italian penalised with a Long Lap Penalty. However, for not taking this in time, Bassani was given a second Long Lap Penalty before he was given a ride through penalty for not taking his Long Lap Penalties on time. Bassani was classified in 20th place.

Czech rider Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) took 18th place ahead of Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda), with the Argentinean rider leaving his home round without points. Bassani was in 20th place ahead of Maximilian Scheib (MIE Racing Honda Team) and Marco Solorza (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) who was the last of the 22-strong field.

WorldSBK Argentina Race Two Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +3.389s
3 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +9.784s

Championship Standings After Argentina (Full Standings Here)

1 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 507 points
2 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 425
3 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 409

The post WorldSBK: Bautista Extends Championship Lead In Argentina appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Read the full race report here…

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The Argentina GP also marked Espargaro’s 200th premier class start, with the stage perfectly set to celebrate in style as the long road from 125s to 250s to MotoGP, back to Moto2, through the CRT era to MotoGP factory rider ended on the top step of the premier class podium.

It didn’t come easy either, with Pramac Racing’s Jorge Martin leading the way for much of the race and then battling it out, ultimately forced to settle for second but taking his first podium of the year. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) likewise took his first podium of 2022 and first since Silverstone last season, the Suzuki rider close to the duel ahead but not quite close enough to attack.

For the first time since 2019, it was lights out in Argentina and Martin got away superbly from the middle of the front row for the holeshot. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) launched well to move up into P3 as well, just behind polesitter and older brother Aleix Espargaro as it got close but not full contact close at the front.

The top two, Martin and Aleix Espargaro, soon started to stretch clear. The gap was up to a second pretty rapidly as Pol Espargaro and Rins battled past Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and a whole host of riders sat line astern. Reigning World Champion Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), meanwhile, had dropped back to P13 from the second row, with Indonesian GP winner Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) behind him and the likes of Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing), Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) all making moves in the initial freight train.

The gap at the front extended and extended fast. Martin and Aleix Espargaro soon had a buffer of two seconds to Rins and Pol Espargaro, with Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) into P5 ahead of Marini, who in turn had Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing), Bagnaia and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) for close company.

Lap 10 of 25 saw Aleix Espargaro run wide at Turn 1, losing 0.4s, and then the Aprilia man ran wide at Turn 5 – two mistakes in five corners costing the Spaniard 0.9s. That left Rins just a second in arrears as the Suzuki rider kept chipping away at the gap and Martin’s lead, with 15 laps to go, was up to just over a second. The response from Aleix Espargaro? The fastest lap of the Grand Prix – a 1:39.375, 0.4s quicker than Martin.

After Zarco crashed out earlier, the next to suffer a crash was then Pol Espargaro, rider ok. That promoted Mir to P4, but the 2020 World Champion had two seconds to bridge if he wanted to fight his teammate Rins for the final podium spot.

Up front meanwhile, Aleix Espargaro had regrouped and was now back to where he was before the double error – 0.3s behind Martin – and the first hint of a move came with eight laps to go. The Aprilia moved out the slipstream and was ahead, but it was only briefly. Hard on the anchors, Espargaro couldn’t get his RS-GP stopped at the apex and Martin was back through.

A lap later, it was copy/paste at Turn 5. Still no way through for Espargaro, who looked like he had a bit of pace in his pocket over Martin. But then, at the third attempt at Turn 5, the Aprilia was through. With four and a half laps to go, Aprilia and Espargaro were leading. With three to go, Martin hadn’t been dropped by Espargaro, and Rins was now 0.8s behind too. Two to go: 0.2s split the top two, and Rins was still just under a second behind.

Heading onto the last lap though, it looked like the stage was set. Espargaro had been able to give himself just over half a second of breathing space, and a monumentally huge lap was incoming for the number 41 and Aprilia – with just 4.8km of asphalt separating him from a dream debut victory. Turn 5 was safely negotiated. Turn 7 too. Three corners left quickly become two. Turn 13 was safely negotiated, no attack from Martin incoming, and finally, flicking his RS-GP left, Espargaro took the chequered flag in P1 for the very first time, handing Aprilia their first premier class victory and adding another entry into the record books.

Just behind, Martin had no answer in the end for Espargaro but second place is crucial to kickstart his World Championship after two DNFs in Qatar and Indonesia, putting him on the board. Rins completed the podium for his first visit to the rostrum in 2022, and in the end, Mir was only 0.5s away from his teammate and podium finish. That has put Team Suzuki Ecstar top of the teams’ standings, with Ducati top in the consctructors’ thanks to Martin. Aleix Espargaro, meanwhile, leads the riders’ Championship for the first time.

Bagnaia put in an impressive Sunday salvage to take P5, the Italian getting the better of Brad Binder. Viñales enjoyed by far his best weekend yet with Aprilia as he takes home P7, ahead of former teammate Quartararo. The reigning Champion took a lonely P8 in the end.

Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) upped the rookie ante with an impressive ninth place as he takes over at the top in the fight for Rookie of the Year, and the Italian beat compatriots Bastianini and Marini to it too. The ‘Beast’ loses the points lead after a P10, with Marini slipping down the order to P11. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) fended off Oliveira for P12, with Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) behind them as the Australian couldn’t make progress on Sunday afternoon and picked up a lowly P14. Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) claimed the final point in P15.

History made and party begun, that’s a wrap and we have some new winners in town as the paddock packs up and heads for Texas. What awaits in the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas and, maybe crucially, who? The top step has only belonged to two, so tune in next week to see the next chapter in the story – with the sport also celebrating a very special milestone: 500 Grands Prix of the FIM, IRTA, MSMA and Dorna Racing together.

Aleix Espargaro: “I’m extremely happy about this weekend in Argentina. Overall in Qatar and Indonesia I also felt very strong. I felt competitive, I think we had a solid weekend. Honestly, the race was not easy. I expected it to be a bit easier as this morning I felt very strong. But I think I had a smart race, and finally after this long period with Aprilia we achieved the victory and we are leading the championship. This is like a dream. We keep our feet on the ground, but I think we truly deserve this!”

MotoGP Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) – Aprilia – 41’36.198
2 Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) – Ducati – +0.807
3 Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) – Suzuki – +1.330

Moto2
Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) marches on in style in the 2022 Moto2 World Championship, putting in another stellar performance in Argentina for win number two of the season. Idemitsu Honda Team Asia celebrated a double podium as Somkiat Chantra took back to back rostrum finishes, this time in second, and Ai Ogura fended off Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40) on the final lap to finish P3. It’s the first time two former Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup riders have shared the class podium. Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors Speed Up) crashed after contact with Vietti at Turn 13, deemed a racing incident.

Polesitter Aldeguer got away the best, but alongside him, Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was more sluggish. A bad start then turned into a disastrous start for the number 37, as he made some contact with Ogura’s rear wheel at Turn 1 and crashed out of contention. Vietti made a great start from the third row to move up, the only rider keeping tabs on Aldeguer in the opening exchanges.

At Turn 1 on Lap 4, Vietti then carved past Aldeguer to take the lead. Chantra was holding third, the Thai rider a second away from Aldeguer’s rear wheel, as Canet also made great progress to climb up to P4. Vietti, Aldeguer and Chantra seemed to be holding station. But with 16 to go, drama struck. Vietti was slightly wide at Turn 13 and sniffing an opportunity, Aldeguer stuck his front wheel up the inside. The two came together and the rider coming off worse was Alduguer, who was up on his feet but out of the race.

Up ahead, Vietti also now had his hands full with Chantra. Canet was P3 but over a second off second, with Ogura keeping tabs on the Spaniard in P4 – and the Japanese rider was the fastest rider in the lead group. For a second time, Vietti was then wide at Turn 13, and this time it did allow Chantra to come through and take the lead. On the following lap though, Chantra was wide at the same corner, putting Vietti back in charge. Chantra stayed settled in behind Vietti for a number of laps then, with the action shifting to behind between Ogura and Canet. The battle allowed Vietti and Chantra sail 1.7s up the road from the duo, and with five laps to go, it looked like it was Vietti vs Chantra for victory.

With just over two laps to go, Vietti pulled the pin and the gap went up over a second heading onto the last lap. Chantra, in turn, was 3.8s clear of teammate Ogura, but the Japanese rider was absolutely not clear of Canet. With a place on the podium up for grabs, the Spaniard was swarming all over the back of him and lunged at Turn 5. Canet was wide though, allowing Ogura back through, but the Spaniard then tried again at Turn 7 and managed to hold it around the outside of Turn 8.

As it already had in plenty Moto3 battles, it would come down to the penultimate corner. As Vietti sailed over the finish line for win two from three and Chantra secured his first back to back podiums, Ogura shot up the inside of Canet with a classic harsh but clean move, and the Honda Team Asia rider kept it pinned to the line to make it the first time two former ATC riders have shared the podium in the intermediate class.

Finishing less than a second behind Canet came Jake Dixon (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team) in P5, which marks a solid bounce back for the British rider after his Indonesian GP disappointment as he got the better of Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) in the closing stages. Arbolino claimed a fantastic P6, with the Italian coming home over four seconds clear of reigning Moto3 World Champion Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in P7. Albert Arenas (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team), Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) and Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) closed out the top 10.

Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) takes a P11 home from his first visit to Termas, the American now gets set for his home Grand Prix next weekend. Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP), Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team), rookie Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team) and Marcos Ramirez (MV Agusta Forward Racing) took the final points on offer.

Moto2 Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) – Kalex – 39’44.098
2 Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) – Kalex – +1.538
3 Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) – Kalex – +5.703

As last laps go, Argentina was pretty special from Sergio Garcia (Solunion GASGAS Aspar Team). The now-Championship leader went from third to first and attacked Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) with some penultimate corner poetry to take his first win of the season. The Italian was quick to congratulate the move despite being forced to settle for second, once more banking some serious points as he and Garcia pull clear at the top. Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) went from front row to podium despite a Long Lap penalty the Japanese rider had to serve from Indonesia, finally putting bad luck to bed.

It was a perfect getaway from pole for Garcia, who comfortably led into Turn 1, but a slower start for teammate Izan Guevara on the outside of the front row. However, despite dropping to P5 on the opening lap, Guevara expertly picked his way back through and on Lap 2 at Turn 5, took the lead from Garcia. The two GASGAS riders immediately started stretching clear as second on the grid Sasaki took his Long Lap Penalty.

Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) set the fastest lap of the race on Lap 3 and had climbed from outside the top 10 into the top three, but with plenty of squabbling going on, the GASGAS leading duo were nearly a second up the road. By 14 laps to go though, Masia had bridged the gap and had Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) in tow.

A leading quintet of Guevara, Garcia, Masia, Migno and Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) held station at the front, but drama then unfolded for race leader Guevara. At Turn 3 with 12 laps to go, the sophomore’s machine said no more and through no fault of his own, Guevara was out of the race, dropping down the Championship standings in the process. Meanwhile, Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) had made his way up to P5 from a tougher qualifying, and on Lap 11 of 21, the Italian snapped up a two-for-one deal at Turn 13 – Moreira and Masia dispatched, Foggia was now P3 and in the hunt for the win.

Turn 13 then staged arguably the biggest drama of the race. Trying to go through a door that wasn’t fully open, Migno collided with Masia and both were down with just over five laps to go. That left Garcia leading Leopard duo Foggia and Tatsuki Suzuki by half a second, with Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Sasaki in the top five, the latter after clawing his way back from outside the points.

After reviewing the incident between Migno and Masia from every angle, the FIM MotoGP Stewards deemed it a racing incident with some responsibility shared between both riders. Masia did however receive a warning for the “touch” to Migno’s helmet after the crash.

With two to go, Foggia was closing in on Garcia. Half a second became 0.2s in a couple of laps and at Turn 12, Foggia led. The Italian kept the lead onto the final lap from Garcia, with Suzuki, Sasaki and Rossi in the top five, but Garcia then found himself in the firing line as Suzuki sliced past to make it a Leopard 1-2. The Spaniard was able to respond, however, replying at Turn 9 and then locking on to Foggia just ahead. 

There was. The number 11’s burgeoning reputation as a rider who will always go full send on Sunday – and within the limit – has been well-earned and Argentina would prove no different. Slicing up the inside at the final corner, the GASGAS rider got it done, kept it, and gassed it to the line for victory with Foggia hot on his heels. Just behind them, Sasaki dived up the inside of Suzuki too and made that stick, back on the podium despite a Long Lap to turn proven speed in 2022 into points. Suzuki, for his part, was given a drop one position penalty for track limits on the last lap too – so he’s classified fifth as Rossi takes P4.

Impressive rookie Moreira continued to earn that moniker as the Brazilian took P6, just ahead of a big step forward for 2021 FIM JuniorGP Champion Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo) as he gets back to full fitness after injury struggles in preseason. Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP), Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) and his teammate Joel Kelso rounded out the top 10.

Elia Bartolini (QJMotor Avintia Racing Team) and Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI) were P11 and P12 respectively, the duo finished ahead of Red Bull KTM Tech3 duo Adrian Fernandez and Deniz Öncü – both of whom had to take Long Lap Penalties for shortcuts. Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team) was the final point scorer in P15.

Moto3 Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) – GASGAS – 38:23.433
2 Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) – Honda – +0.146
3 Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) – Husqvarna – +0.375

The post MotoGP Argentina Race Reports: Espargaro & Aprilia’s First Win appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

There are only nine permanent riders who have raced MotoGP machinery at Termas de Rio Hondo more than once and of those, even less return to take on the track on the same bikes as they were riding on our last visit. So it really will be an interesting weekend, with even the rookie class of 2020 such as Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) back in at the deep end with zero track experience on premier class machinery.

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KTM seems the best place, as the Austrian factory currently have the best seat in the house in two of three Championships, heading the standings in the Constructors’ and Teams’ title fights for the first time ever. The aforementioned Binder is only two points off the top in the fight for the riders’ crown too, and teammate Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) is in the top five after catapulting himself up the table by 16 places thanks to that awesome win in Indonesia.

Oliveira is also one of the only nine riders on the grid who’ve previously raced the track with the same factory with which they return to tackle the challenge in 2022 too, as Brad Binder faces the opposite challenge of first premier class touch. Can they tame Termas and lead the three leaderboards of the coveted Triple Crown?

At Tech3 KTM Factory Racing, meanwhile, the rookie duel continues and it’s still split between the two by the single point taken by reigning Moto2 Champion Remy Gardner in Qatar. Gardner also took his first ever Grand Prix podium at Termas de Rio Hondo, so will be hoping to add to his tally as Raul Fernandez arrives with only one Moto3 appearance at the track in 2019.

Just down pitlane, Ducati have an interesting array of experience. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) is one of the most veteran on the grid having first raced the venue in 2015, with only three riders beating his tally. However, it’s only two events at the track with Ducati that the Australian has to his name… but however again, Termas was the stage for his only premier class pole so far after his awe-inspiring masterclass on slicks on a drying and definitely-not-yet-dry track back in 2018. Can he turn his experience into his first podium of the season?

One rider who arguably did that last time out was another Ducati rider with experience at Termas: Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing), who stormed to third in Lombok. He also has two Moto2 wins in Argentina, but the Frenchman has only tackled the track on a Yamaha and KTM in the premier class, so both he and teammate Jorge Martin – who remains on the hunt for his first points of the year – take on the venue on Borgo Panigale machinery for the first time. So too does Luca Marini, and it will be interesting to see the Mooney VR46 Racing Team battle as Marco Bezzecchi arrives as a full blown rookie.

And then there’s Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). If Qatar was a tough start, Lombok was only slightly less bitter as the Italian struggled to score. We have, however, seen Bagnaia paint MotoGP poetry on now many an occasion, and he’ll be hoping his 2019 experience at Termas, then on an Independent Ducati, will count for something and help him get back in the hunt for the podium as a minimum.

Finally, Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP) arrives in the truly best seat in the house as he continues to lead the Championship. After a disastrous start to the race in Lombok down in P20 at one point, the Italian brought it back to get another handful of points by the flag despite very little experience in the wet. Having passed that challenge, the next is Termas de Rio Hondo as the number 23 aims to keep and extend that lead – riding at the track for the first time in the premier class.

Over at Yamaha, there’s plenty to discuss too. Qatar was a disappointment for reigning Champion Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) before incredible wet weather grip in Lombok saw the Frenchman slice up into second for his first MotoGP podium in the rain. But the Iwata marque – and Quartararo especially – looked hard to bet against in the dry in Indonesia, so it’s a mixed bag so far in 2021, with both disappointment and searing pace on show.

El Diablo has raced at Termas before, in 2019, and although only once it was with Yamaha. Teammate Franco Morbidelli has one more MotoGP race in Argentina under his belt, but he’s tackled the track on two different machines. Morbidelli had a pretty solid weekend in Indonesia too, so what will the two factory guys have for Termas? The Iwata marque have already won at the track twice with two different riders.

Andrea Dovizioso (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team) is, meanwhile, one of the three most experienced riders on the grid at Termas – but all his races, including podiums, were with Ducati. Now he faces a new challenge of taking on the track on the YZR-M1, and after a technical issue stopped him early in Indonesia, he’ll want to get back in the points as a minimum. On the other side of the garage the vibe was the opposite in Lombok, however, as Darryn Binder steamed up inside the top 10 and was as high as eighth before a fair but aggressive move from his brother, no less, saw the younger South African classified 10th. That’s put him top in the battle for top rookie so far in 2022 though, and it was truly a stunner that will have lifted his confidence even if Argentina proves dry – at a track where he already has a Moto3 podium.

So what about Suzuki? In some ways dark horses of consistency – despite some high profile difficulties including that Free Practice fire for Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and a seriously tough qualifying for his teammate, 2020 MotoGP Champion Joan Mir, in Indonesia. Rins has a fifth and a seventh so far and Mir two sixth places, but they’ve been there on race day in the wet and the dry – just lacking an extra step to get into the podium fight. Can they make that in Argentina? Rins arrives for his fourth race at the venue on the Suzuki, a rare slew of experience, and it’s where he took his first premier class podium. Mir has raced there before too, in 2019. 

For Honda, Lombok promised much and delivered little. After Marc Marquez’ huge Warm Up highside it was Pol Espargaro battling alone in Repsol Honda Team colours, and he did take some points on the new RC213V’s debut in the wet but it was a far cry from the podium and race-leading escapades of Qatar. Qatar will bring the number 44 some good hope on the way into Termas though – as will Honda’s record of four wins at the track, with both Marc Marquez and Cal Crutchlow – and Pol Espargaro is one of the three riders expected on the grid who’s raced at the venue since 2014, in his case with Yamaha and KTM. Will that experience help him blast out the blocks on the Honda? And what will the update on Marc Marquez’ condition be?

At LCR Honda Castrol, Alex Marquez faces the track for the first time in MotoGP and takes on a new challenge, although he has been on the podium there in the lower classes, whereas Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) has a couple of previous MotoGP experiences at Termas under his belt, and both with Honda. That will be interesting as the all-new RC213V takes on the circuit and the Japanese rider will want to leverage that to move further forward after a more muted start to 2022.

At Aprilia, the experience-ometer is high too. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) is the final one of the likely three riders who have raced in every MotoGP race at Termas de Rio Hondo, although not all with Aprilia. The RS-GP is also a different beast this season, and in Qatar we saw serious form before a tougher Lombok so the Noale factory shouldn’t be counted out of fighting at the front. Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) is also a former winner at Termas, and has raced the venue on two other machines prior to 2022. What can Aprilia do this season with a mixture of experience and fresher, fighting fit form?

It’s all to play for in Argentina, with another 25 points on the table and so far still anyone’s game to take the Championship lead, stand on the podium or even take that coveted win. Will experience count for much as we return to the land of Tango? Or is it all-change once again? Find out on Sunday the 3rd of April as MotoGP goes racing for the Gran Premio Michelin® de la Republica Argentina at 15:00 (GMT -3)!

MotoGP Championship Top 5 (Full Standings Here)

1 Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP) – Ducati – 30
2 Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – KTM – 28
3 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) – Yamaha – 27
4 Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – KTM – 25
5 Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) – Ducati – 24

Moto2
We’ve seen two stunning runaway wins so far in 2022, with Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) proving the class of the field in Qatar and then Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) putting in a history-making masterpiece in Mandalika. Now it’s more fresh turf for the newer faces in the field, so can Vietti and Aron Canet (Flexbox HP 40) keep their 100% podium record rolling? And what will Chantra have in store off the back of his maiden win?

Starting with the most recent winner, there’s a good omen from back in 2019 as the Thai rider has both experience and success in Argentina, having taken his first Moto2 top ten at the venue in only his second race in the class three years ago. That could bode well, but if experience is to prove king then Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing), third overall as it stands, is arguably in the best position as he arrives with two previous podiums at Termas de Rio Hondo. Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) has ridden the track too, although suffered an injury at the venue in 2019, and Jake Dixon (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team) also knows Termas – and the Brit was on pole and the pace last time out before his crash. 

It will be interesting, then, to see if Vietti and Canet can come out swinging in the face of experience, with more podiums for the two this weekend likely to prove statements of intent: three podiums at three very different tracks and in very different conditions would go a long way to prove their speed is here to stay throughout the season.

On the other side of the coin, there are a few riders looking for a lot more than they took home in Indonesia. One is rookie sensation Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo), who had a much bumpier start to his season than many anticipated, and he’ll be taking on Termas for the first time ever. Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) did some great damage control on race day in Lombok but had an overall tougher weekend after fighting for the podium in Qatar, and Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing) will be keen to re-join that postcode too.

Moto2 also has home hero Gabriel Rodrigo (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) on the grid, with the Argentinean intermediate class rookie looking to make a step forward. Sean Dylan Kelly (American Racing) also has paternal ties to Argentina and so begins a fortnight of important races, and that’s also true of compatriots Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) and Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) in many ways, who will also want to make the most of Termas to head into Texas on the front foot.

After three years of waiting, the time has come to return to the land of tango and Moto2 couldn’t be better poised for another stunning race weekend. Tune in at 13:20 (GMT -3) as the intermediate class take on Termas de Rio Hondo!

Moto2 Championship Top 5 (Full Standings Here)

1 Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) – Kalex – 45
2 Aron Canet (Flexbox HP 40) – Kalex – 36
3 Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) – Kalex – 29
4 Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) – Kalex – 25
5 Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – Kalex – 24

Moto3
2022 marks a long-awaited return to the Autodromo de Termas Rio Hondo, and for the Moto3 class it promises an interesting weekend. The last time we raced at the venue it was Jaume Masia on top, before his tenure with Red Bull KTM Ajo although the Spaniard was still on a KTM. Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team), Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing), Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power), Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) and most recent winner Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) are the other names who’ve found some success in the land of tango, but for the majority of the field it’s unchartered territory. Once again, that could prove key – or a great leveller for many.

Masia will be hoping to repeat his success, and he’s the only returner who’s been on the podium at the track, which is an understatement for taking victory from pole. But Foggia’s show of form last time out – seconds clear despite Mandalika being a brand new venue for everyone – is a warning shot for the field, and he had pace in Qatar to come from the back.

For Migno, meanwhile, the pace was there again at Mandalika, but the bad luck hit too as Sasaki misjudged a last lap move and both went down. Both will be heartened by more good speed but looking to hit back, and the Japanese rider earned a Long Lap penalty for his error that he’ll have to overcome. Add in Suzuki as he settles in at Leopard, and Toba looking for his second podium of the season, and the veteran armada is a substantial one to overcome.

Izan Guevara (Solunion GASGAS Aspar Team), however, had some stunning speed on new turf and the number 28 took his first podium of the season. He duelled it out with teammate and 2021 title challenger Sergio Garcia (Solunion GASGAS Aspar Team) too, who seemed like he could have had the pace to try and cut into Foggia’s lead but couldn’t make a break for it and had to settle for fourth. Will both the GASGAS riders be back up at the front once again? So far you wouldn’t bet against it, although Garcia missed the 2019 Argentina GP race due to a crash in Warm Up – so it’s new turf, in terms of race distance, for both.

Meanwhile Lombok also saw a new name on the podium: Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP). The Spaniard took an emotional rostrum finish and in some style, slicing his way back through despite a Long Lap penalty. Could that open the floodgates to see the former Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion at the front more often? And what about Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech 3)? The Turk was only just off the podium after the heat of the last lap battle as his 2022 pace continues.

However, the rookies will be aware that many of the more experienced riders in the field, including the likes of Garcia, Guevara and Öncü, don’t have experience in Argentina. Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) more than many as he races at the closest he has to a home Grand Prix for the moment – and after taking that sixth place in Qatar and then a front row in Indonesia before some bad luck on Sunday.

Mario Aji (Honda Team Asia) will be wanting to replicate his pace after a stunning home weekend and first points too, and Scott Ogden (VisionTrack Academy) likewise took his first points in Lombok – creating a good building block for the Brit. Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) will now join the fold too after injury kept the 2021 Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup Champion sidelined from the first two rounds, but there are plenty of debutants and they’ll all see opportunity in Termas de Rio Hondo.

Moto3 Championship Top 5 (Full Standings Here)

1 Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) – Honda – 34
2 Sergio Garcia (Solunion GASGAS Aspar Team) – GASGAS – 33
3 Izan Guevara (Solunion GASGAS Aspar Team) – GASGAS – 28
4 Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) – Honda – 25
5 Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) – KTM – 24

The post Round Preview: MotoGP Finally Returns To Argentina appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Both Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), decorated in a special 1990s livery to mark a special anniversary for Kawasaki, got quick starts from second and fifth on the grid respectively to lead the race into turn one, while polesitter Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) found himself on the ground at the first turn after crashing, with the Briton falling to the back.

Out in front and Rea had put pressure on Razgatlioglu for the lead of the race before the championship leader opened up the gap to Rea to just over three seconds at the end of lap eight, with the pair holding station until the end of the race. Razgatlioglu’s win meant he claimed the 50th podium of his career while Yamaha claimed their first podium at San Juan Villicum. Rea’s second place meant he claimed Great Britain’s 810th podium, while it was only the second time Rea has not won at Argentina.

Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed the tenth podium of his WorldSBK career with third place after passing Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) at around half-distance of the race. Bassani had started from the front row for the first time in his WorldSBK career but fell back at the start before fighting back into third, before Rinaldi was able to pass him. Rinaldi’s podium was Ducati’s 980th podium in WorldSBK.

The battle for fourth raged on between Bassani and Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), with Lowes, using a Top Gun-inspired livery to mark Kawasaki’s 125th anniversary, making the move through turns six and seven to move into fourth before fending off the Ducati rider down the back straight into turn eight, with Lowes finishing in fourth place and Bassani in fifth.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) was another who had a strong start as the lights went out but soon found himself falling back down the order as he battled with Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK); with the Dutchman claiming sixth place and Gerloff seventh. Locatelli ended the race in eighth place after starting from sixth place.

Redding ended the 21-lap race in ninth place after battling his way back from the back of the field after his turn one spill, passing numerous riders to secure a top-ten finish despite the early setback, with Leon Haslam (Team HRC) rounding out the top ten after withstanding late challenges from his rivals but unable to keep Redding behind.

Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) claimed 11th place in only his second round onboard Kawasaki machinery, finishing almost two seconds clear of Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) who finished in 12th place. Irish rider Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) moved up the order at the start of the race but fell back as the 21-lap progressed, eventually coming home in 13th place.

It was a strong showing for Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team) as he looked to claim his first top-ten finish in WorldSBK, but a late trip through the gravel meant he fell down to 14th place, four seconds behind Laverty. Japanese rookie Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) claimed the final points-paying position with 15th place.

Home hero Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) was 16th and missing out on points by around five seconds, but he was also five seconds clear of 17th-placed Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha). Two Argentinean riders rounded out the classified runners with Marco Solorza (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing) and teammate Luciano Ribodino in 18th and 19th respectively.

Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) was the first retirement of the race after he had a crash at turn four on the third lap of the race. Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) had shown strong pace throughout the weekend but retired from race one after an early trip into the gravel at turn seven; although he did re-join the race, he retired in the second half.

Race One Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +5.295s
3 Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +9.417s

Tissot Superpole Race
The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship continued to thrill throughout the Motul Argentinean Round as the 10-lap Tissot Superpole Race was decided by a drag race to the finish line at the Circuito San Juan Villicum with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) and Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) dicing it out for Superpole Race honours.

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) once again claimed the lead of the race into turn one after leapfrogging polesitter Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) while Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was straight into podium contention from fifth on the grid and immediately battling with Toprak Razgatlioglu and Scott Redding.

At the end of lap three, Redding lost ground to Razgatlioglu after running wide at the final corner, allowing Rea to put pressure on the Ducati rider while the Turkish star was able to extend his lead at the front of the field. Redding was able to spend a few laps recovering the time to Razgatlioglu before putting pressure on the race leader with the battling right until the line; Redding looking to make a move into turn six and seven but Razgatlioglu responded to hold on to the line by just 0.046s. Razgatlioglu claimed his 13th win of 2021 with Yamaha taking their 350th podium placement. Redding claimed second for his 20th podium this campaign with Rea settling for third; the trio starting from the front row. 

As in Saturday’s race one, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) lost ground at the start of the race but was able to fight back to claim fourth place, his best dry-weather result, in the Superpole Race after passing Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in lap three; Lowes would drop back to ninth in the closing stages of the race. Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) once again battled it out on track with the Dutchman coming out on top to claim fifth place, with Italian rookie Locatelli in sixth and one second back from van der Mark.

After topping warm-ip on Sunday morning, Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) claimed seventh place after making progress from his starting spot, with Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in eighth place; the Italian had battled his way up the order before losing a couple of spots in the latter stages of the race. Lowes will complete the third row after finishing ninth.

Tissot Superpole Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
2 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.046s
3 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +3.419s

Argentinian action in WorldSBK race two at the San Juan circuit saw the championship top three engaged in a hard-fought 21-lap battle with Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) coming out on top, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) second and Toprak Razgatlioglu third (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK).    In earlier weekend racing, Razgatlioglu won Saturday’s race one and the Sprint, while Rea took two podiums – a second in race one and a third in Sunday’s quick dash.   

The Turk now holds a 30 point lead over Rea  (531 to 501 points) with Redding back in third on 465 points, with the title-decider in the 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship going down to the wire and to be decided at the final round,  a month away at Indonesia’s Mandalika International Street Circuit on November 19-21.

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) got a good start from third on the grid while Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) led from pole position.  The pair battled through the first three laps, with Redding joining the fray, and Rea taking the lead briefly before being pushed down to third on the fourth lap of 21. On lap five, the Ducati star moved up to second with a pass on Rea before passing Razgatlioglu, while Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) continued his strong form as he battled the championship’s top three for a podium position.  

Rea was able to respond to move into second and looked to take the lead, but the Turkish star was able to resist the challenge on lap six.  At the start of lap nine, Redding made a move on Rea into turn one to move up into second place, with Razgatlioglu still out in front, although Redding did make a move into turn eight, with Razgatlioglu responding.

On lap ten at turn seven, Redding overtook Razgatlioglu to capture the lead, with Rea almost able to pass the Turkish star into Turn 8 but Razgatlioglu responded to keep second place. The move allowed Redding to escape the thrilling battles, with the fight between Razgatlioglu, Rea and Bassani continuing to heat up.

Rea cut back under Razgatlioglu into turn seven to briefly move into second place on lap 14 but Razgatlioglu regained the position under braking into turn eight. On Lap 16, Rea made the crucial overtake to move into turn one but Razgatlioglu fought back until turn five with the pair side-by-side throughout the sequence. After this, Rea was able to break away to claim second place ahead of Razgatlioglu, Redding claiming his first victory since Catalunya.

Bassani dropped away from the lead trio in the closing stages but still recorded fourth place after another excellent race for the Italian rookie as he withstood a late challenge from Ducati stablemate Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) by just half-a-second at the end of the 21-lap race. With the top four battling it out in the early stages, Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was running in the lead group with fifth place before he was passed by Rinaldi, eventually coming home in sixth place.

Yamaha stablemates Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) and Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) finished in seventh and eighth respectively with American star Gerloff missing out in seventh spot by just three tenths at the end of the race. Despite missing out on seventh place, Gerloff’s points, coupled with teammate Kohta Nozane finishing in 14th place, was enough for GRT Yamaha to claim the Best Independent Teams’ title in 2021.

Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) and Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) battled it out for ninth place in the closing stages of the race with just eight tenths separating the duo as they crossed the line. Bautista, a race winner at San Juan for Ducati but making his first appearance on Honda machinery in Argentina, battled back from 15th place after missing out on a top-nine spot in the morning Tissot Superpole Race.

Bautista’s Team HRC teammate, Leon Haslam, was 11th with both Team HRC riders taking points for the team’s first appearance at San Juan. Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) claimed 12th place ahead of Spanish compatriot Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in 13th with Viñales showing strong pace throughout the weekend. Nozane took 14th place with home hero Leandro ‘Tati’ Mercado 15th (MIE Racing Honda Team) – coming home with points despite running wide at turn one late on in the race.

Irish rider Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), still standing in for Tom Sykes, finishing in 16th place and half-a-second clear of Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) in 17th and Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team) in 18th. Two Argentinean riders finished in 19th and 20th with OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing duo Luciano Ribodino and Marco Solorza rounding out the field.

Race Two Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +2.428s
3 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +3.834s

Championship Standings After Round 12 (Full Standings Here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 531
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 501
3 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 465

The post WorldSBK: Race Reports From RD 12 In Argentina appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Both Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), decorated in a special 1990s livery to mark a special anniversary for Kawasaki, got quick starts from second and fifth on the grid respectively to lead the race into turn one, while polesitter Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) found himself on the ground at the first turn after crashing, with the Briton falling to the back of the grid.

Out in front and Rea had put pressure on Razgatlioglu for the lead of the race before the championship leader opened up the gap to Rea to just over three seconds at the end of lap eight, with the pair holding station until the end of the race. Razgatlioglu’s win meant he claimed the 50th podium of his career while Yamaha claimed their first podium at San Juan Villicum. Rea’s second place meant he claimed Great Britain’s 810th podium, while it was only the second time Rea has not won at Argentina.

Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed the tenth podium of his WorldSBK career with third place after passing Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) at around half-distance of the race. Bassani had started from the front row for the first time in his WorldSBK career but fell back at the start before fighting back into third, before Rinaldi was able to pass him. Rinaldi’s podium was Ducati’s 980th podium in WorldSBK.

The battle for fourth raged on between Bassani and Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), with Lowes, using a Top Gun-inspired livery to mark Kawasaki’s 125th anniversary, making the move through turns six and seven to move into fourth before fending off the Ducati rider down the back straight into turn eight, with Lowes finishing in fourth place and Bassani in fifth.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) was another who had a strong start as the lights went out but soon found himself falling back down the order as he battled with Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK); with the Dutchman claiming sixth place and Gerloff seventh. Locatelli ended the race in eighth place after starting from sixth place.

Redding ended the 21-lap race in ninth place after battling his way back from the back of the field after his turn one spill, passing numerous riders to secure a top-ten finish despite the early setback, with Leon Haslam (Team HRC) rounding out the top ten after withstanding late challenges from his rivals but unable to keep Redding behind.

Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) claimed 11th place in only his second round onboard Kawasaki machinery, finishing almost two seconds clear of Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) who finished in 12th place. Irish rider Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) moved up the order at the start of the race but fell back as the 21-lap progressed, eventually coming home in 13th place.

It was a strong showing for Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team) as he looked to claim his first top-ten finish in WorldSBK, but a late trip through the gravel meant he fell down to 14th place, four seconds behind Laverty. Japanese rookie Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) claimed the final points-paying position with 15th place.

Home hero Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) was 16th and missing out on points by around five seconds, but he was also five seconds clear of 17th-placed Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha). Two Argentinean riders rounded out the classified runners with Marco Solorza (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing) and teammate Luciano Ribodino in 18th and 19th respectively.

Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) was the first retirement of the race after he had a crash at turn four on the third lap of the race. Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) had shown strong pace throughout the weekend but retired from race one after an early trip into the gravel at turn seven; although he did re-join the race, he retired in the second half.

Race One Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +5.295s
3 Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +9.417s

Tissot Superpole Race
The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship continued to thrill throughout the Motul Argentinean Round as the 10-lap Tissot Superpole Race was decided by a drag race to the finish line at the Circuito San Juan Villicum with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) and Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) dicing it out for Superpole Race honours.

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) once again claimed the lead of the race into turn one after leapfrogging polesitter Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) while Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was straight into podium contention from fifth on the grid and immediately battling with Toprak Razgatlioglu and Scott Redding.

At the end of lap three, Redding lost ground to Razgatlioglu after running wide at the final corner, allowing Rea to put pressure on the Ducati rider while the Turkish star was able to extend his lead at the front of the field. Redding was able to spend a few laps recovering the time to Razgatlioglu before putting pressure on the race leader with the battling right until the line; Redding looking to make a move into turn six and seven but Razgatlioglu responded to hold on to the line by just 0.046s. Razgatlioglu claimed his 13th win of 2021 with Yamaha taking their 350th podium placement. Redding claimed second for his 20th podium this campaign with Rea settling for third; the trio starting race two from the front. 

As in Saturday’s race one, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) lost ground at the start of the race but was able to fight back to claim fourth place, his best dry-weather result, in the Superpole Race after passing Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in lap three; Lowes would drop back to ninth in the closing stages of the race. Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) once again battled it out on track with the Dutchman coming out on top to claim fifth place, with Italian rookie Locatelli in sixth and one second back from van der Mark.

After topping warm-ip on Sunday morning, Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) claimed seventh place after making progress from his starting spot, with Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in eighth place; the Italian had battled his way up the order before losing a couple of spots in the latter stages of the race. Lowes will complete the third row after finishing ninth.

Tissot Superpole Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
2 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.046s
3 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +3.419s

Argentinian action in WorldSBK race two at the San Juan circuit saw the championship top three engaged in a hard-fought 21-lap battle with Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) coming out on top, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) second and Toprak Razgatlioglu third (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK).    In earlier weekend racing, Razgatlioglu won Saturday’s race one and the Sprint, while Rea took two podiums – a second in race one and a third in Sunday’s quick dash.   

The Turk now holds a 30 point lead over Rea  (531 to 501 points) with Redding back in third on 465 points, with the title-decider in the 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship going down to the wire and to be decided at the final round,  a month away at Indonesia’s Mandalika International Street Circuit on November 19-21.

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) got a good start from third on the grid while Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) led from pole position.  The pair battled through the first three laps, with Redding joining the fray, and Rea taking the lead briefly before being pushed down to third on the fourth lap of 21. On lap five, the Ducati star moved up to second with a pass on Rea before passing Razgatlioglu, while Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) continued his strong form as he battled the championship’s top three for a podium position.  

Rea was able to respond to move into second and looked to take the lead, but the Turkish star was able to resist the challenge on lap six.  At the start of lap nine, Redding made a move on Rea into turn one to move up into second place, with Razgatlioglu still out in front, although Redding did make a move into turn eight, with Razgatlioglu responding.

On lap ten at turn seven, Redding overtook Razgatlioglu to capture the lead, with Rea almost able to pass the Turkish star into Turn 8 but Razgatlioglu responded to keep second place. The move allowed Redding to escape the thrilling battles, with the fight between Razgatlioglu, Rea and Bassani continuing to heat up.

Rea cut back under Razgatlioglu into turn seven to briefly move into second place on lap 14 but Razgatlioglu regained the position under braking into turn eight. On Lap 16, Rea made the crucial overtake to move into turn one but Razgatlioglu fought back until turn five with the pair side-by-side throughout the sequence. Rea was able to break away to claim second place ahead of Razgatlioglu, with Redding claiming his first victory since Catalunya.

Bassani dropped away from the lead trio in the closing stages but still recorded fourth place after another excellent race for the Italian rookie as he withstood a late challenge from Ducati stablemate Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) by just half-a-second at the end of the 21-lap race. With the top four battling it out in the early stages, Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was running in the lead group with fifth place before he was passed by Rinaldi, eventually coming home in sixth place.

Yamaha stablemates Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) and Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) finished in seventh and eighth respectively with American star Gerloff missing out in seventh spot by just three tenths at the end of the race. Despite missing out on seventh place, Gerloff’s points, coupled with teammate Kohta Nozane finishing in 14th place, was enough for GRT Yamaha to claim the Best Independent Teams’ title in 2021.

Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) and Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) battled it out for ninth place in the closing stages of the race with just eight tenths separating the duo as they crossed the line. Bautista, a race winner at San Juan for Ducati but making his first appearance on Honda machinery in Argentina, battled back from 15th place after missing out on a top-nine spot in the morning Tissot Superpole Race.

Bautista’s Team HRC teammate, Leon Haslam, was 11th with both Team HRC riders taking points for the team’s first appearance at San Juan. Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) claimed 12th place ahead of Spanish compatriot Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in 13th with Viñales showing strong pace throughout the weekend. Nozane took 14th place with home hero Leandro ‘Tati’ Mercado 15th (MIE Racing Honda Team) – coming home with points despite running wide at turn one late on in the race.

Irish rider Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), still standing in for Tom Sykes, finishing in 16th place and half-a-second clear of Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) in 17th and Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team) in 18th. Two Argentinean riders finished in 19th and 20th with OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing duo Luciano Ribodino and Marco Solorza rounding out the field.

Race Two Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +2.428s
3 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +3.834s

Championship Standings After Round 12 (Full Standings Here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 531
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 501
3 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 465

The post WorldSBK: Race Reports From RD 12 In Argentina appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....