Márquez shatters track record three times to claim MotoGP Argentine GP pole

Termas de Río Hondo circuit‘s absolute lap record fell three times in MotoGP Q2 as Marc Márquez claimed a dominant pole ahead of Álex Márquez and Johann Zarco.

Across a span of 24 hours, Marc Marquez set four new track records at Termas de Río Hondo circuit — three times in Q2 and once on Friday during Practice. He’d set the previous record back in 2014, when he was still racing for Honda on Bridgestone tires. This marks his second pole position of the season, following his success in Thailand.

Once again, his brother Alex Marquez will line up beside him in second place, while Johann Zarco, following his strong pace in practice, secured third to complete the front row.

Márquez made a blistering start to Q2, immediately setting a 1:37.142 on his first flying lap, which was already a new track record, beating the 1:37.295 he had set on Friday. However, he wasn’t done yet; on his second attempt with the same tire, he pushed even further, clocking a 1:37.023. Only his brother Álex and Zarco came close to matching his pace.

Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing

Photo by: Gresini Racing

Francesco Bagnaia salvaged a fourth-place finish in a desperate late attempt, missing out on the front row but staying close to the fastest riders. The second row will feature Pedro Acosta as the fastest non-Ducati rider, alongside Fabio Di Giannantonio. Meanwhile, Fabio Quartararo placed the highest-ranked Japanese bike on the grid in seventh, ahead of Franco Morbidelli, Marco Bezzecchi, Joan Mir, Brad Binder, and Alex Rins, who will start 12th.

Franco Morbidelli and Joan Mir advanced from Q1 into the decisive Q2 session. The Italian posted his best lap with his first tire, clocking a 1:37.312, a time that no one else in Q1 could match. Only Jack Miller came close in the first stint, while Mir managed to edge out the Australian by 78 thousandths of a second to claim the final Q2 spot. Fermin Aldeguer finished fourth in Q1 and will start 14th, while Ai Ogura — who crashed at Turn 2 along with Somkiat Chantra — will line up 15th on the grid.

Further down the order, Raúl Fernández and the Tech3 KTM riders Maverick Viñales and Enea Bastianini will start from the back rows of the Argentine GP grid.