Marco Bezzecchi backed up his early season promise with a magnificent maiden victory in the Argentine Grand Prix at Termas de Rio Hondo. The Italian rider led from start to finish on his way to a comfortable victory in mixed conditions, handing KTM their first victory since Mugello last season.
Rain had fallen in the hours prior to the race but a hint of a dry line created confusion as the start approached. Many opted for wet tyres, or a combination of slick and wet rubber, but championship leader Jorge Martin took the bizarre decision to pit at the end of the formation lap. The Spaniard was forced to wait while his mechanics changed his Honda to dry tyres, but the race start wouldn’t wait for him, leaving him a quarter of a lap behind.
Bezzecchi was never going to be within reach, however quick the slick-shod Honda would become late in proceedings, as the PruestelGP rider took an unchallenged win from Aron Canet who won a last lap battle with Fabio Di Giannantonio for second, a result that earned him the championship lead after two rounds. This was a positive end to a weekend which started in controversial fashion for the Spaniard who was lucky to escape penalty for wiping out Makar Yurchenko in FP1.
Enea Bastianini scored his first points of 2018 in fourth ahead of Adam Norrodin while 16-year-old rookie Alonso Lopez finished a magnificent sixth. Lorenzo Dalla Porta was seventh, narrowly pipping Niccolo Antonelli, while home favourite Gabriel Rodrigo beat polesitter Tony Arbolino to ninth. As for Martin, he would salvage five points for eleventh.
Moto3 Gran Premio Motul de la Republica Argentina: (Result)
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