MotoGP hits Argentina this weekend for Termas de Rio Hondo showdown

MotoGP 2025

Round Two – Argentina – Termas de Rio Hondo – Preview

After a successful season-opening round at the Grand Prix of Thailand, complete with record-breaking attendance figures, a new party awaits us this week on the other side of the globe! For the first time since 2023, MotoGP returns to Termas de Río Hondo for the Gran Premio YPF Energía de Argentina for the second round of the 2025 MotoGP World Championship.

Since its debut on the MotoGP calendar in 2014, the 4.8 km layout of 14 corners (9 right and 5 left) has previously hosted MotoGP eight times.  The 10 previous events were in Buenos Aires, the last of which was in 1999. The first GP in Argentina took place in 1961 in Buenos Aires. It was the first GP staged outside Europe. Not all the riders attended the inaugural 1961 event and the 52-lap (203 km) 500 cc race was won by home rider Jorge Kissling (Matchless), from fellow countryman Juan Carlos Salatino (Norton).

Termas de Rio Hondo was absent from the calendar in 2020 and 2021 following the COVID-19 pandemic, the Grand Prix of Argentina returned for another two editions in 2022 and 2023, before being cancelled in 2024. Marco Bezzecchi is the last rider to have won in Termas, in 2023. Marc Marquez has won here three times; 2014, 2016 and 2019.

The Termas de Río Hondo Circuit is located 6km from the city which gives the venue its name, in the Province of Santiago del Estero. Throughout the year, the small town of Termas de Río Hondo has a population of 30,000, but in 2023, over 186,000 spectators attended the event, including more than 72,000 just for the Sunday Grand Prix. The circuit was officially inaugurated in 2008 during the visit of Argentina´s Touring Car Racing championship. In 2012, the reconditioning, enlargement and modernisation of the circuit began, with the purpose of turning it into Latin America’s most modern, safe and vibrant circuit. The track hosted the third round of the 2014 MotoGP season, bringing Grand Prix motorcycle racing back to Argentina after a 15 year absence. Then there was that infamous Rossi clash with Marc Marquez in 2015…

Following on from his successful pre-season in factory red, Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) leads the Championship standings for the first time in 93 Grands Prix – almost scripted, right? Now, after his double in Buriram, he heads to the venue where he was the first winner and has since achieved a total of three victories. Ducati’s factory team have never won here and the manufacturer only has Marco Bezzecchi’s victory in 2023 to celebrate. Marc hasn’t been in Argentina since 2019, but on that day, he cleared off, beating Valentino Rossi home by almost ten-seconds.

Marc Marquez

”I’m particularly happy to return to race in Argentina, a track that I like and where I managed to be fast and competitive in the past. We’re coming from a practically perfect weekend in Thailand, we managed to make the most of what we did in the testing session and to be incisive in the race. This has really gave me extra motivation and I can’t wait to get back on track”.

Current Lenovo Ducati team-mate Francesco Bagnaia has never had a podium in Argentina in any class but after a solid double podium in Buriram, expect him to be in contention again this weekend and oh so eager to try and reassert his place in the pecking order.

Francesco Bagnaia

”We’re back racing in Argentina, a very fast track that can adapt well to the Desmosedici GP. In Thailand it was not an easy GP, we were fast, solid, we scored two third places, but we were not perfect. We have to work on some factors and aspects to be fully competitive”.

However, a Marquez has led every lap of 2025 so far, thanks to Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) taking over from his brother during Marc’s tactical opening Grand Prix. Alex took his first-ever Ducati podium at Termas in 2023 and was a strong fifth in the Sprint too, holding off Bagnaia.

For Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team), it really was a stunning debut in Thailand, the best maiden Grand Prix since Marc’s 2013 debut. The Japanese rookie has only raced at Termas twice but the second time, he was on the podium in Moto2.

Ai Ogura

“It will be another exciting weekend. The circuit in Argentina is completely different from the track in Thailand so it’s going to require another type of approach compared to Buriram. I just can’t wait to go to another circuit with the MotoGP bike. The Autodromo Termas de Rio Hondo is a fast one, so it will be fun to ride. I’m looking forward to working together with the team again – we are still on the way to improve a lot of things together. We just have to start Friday well and prepare Saturday well and obviously Sunday with the main race. I’m excited to get started and we’ll see what happens there.”

Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) heads to South America after a strong opener to 2025, and he placed fourth in both the GP and Sprint in 2023 with Yamaha. Expect Morbidelli to feature at the front and continue chasing podiums – especially as he’s sure to get some extra love from the Brazilian fans who will flock to the stands.

Franco Morbidelli

“We arrived at this second GP of the year satisfied with the job done in Thailand, personally it was one of my best races of last years. The team and I are working really well together, and we need to keep that momentum going. South America is amazing and Termas is a place that I love. I’m happy to be back after some years without having the possibility to race there. We will try to do the best job we can and one of the key points to improve the final result will be to start more in front in the grid.”

A solid top six at Buriram means that Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) got his 2025 – and thus his Aprilia chapter – off to a good start. Bezz won in Argentina in 2023 but the year before, it was Aprilia domination at the front, with Aleix Espargaro giving them a first-ever MotoGP win. Can the Noale factory – paired with Bezzecchi’s awesome form in Termas – make a serious mark on the podium or more?

Fabio Di Giannantonio arrives in Argentina after a week of hard work to recover from his left collarbone injury. In Termas Fabio’s goal is to gain more and more confidence with his new Ducati Desmosedici GP after the encouraging results in Buriram.

Fabio Di Giannantonio

“I’m feeling much better now compared to when I went to Thailand. I’ve had a few more days to recover from the surgery and start doing some light training with my shoulder. The Argentina GP will definitely be challenging since I’m not yet at 100%, but after the results from the first race, I’m really excited to get back on the bike. I’m looking forward to returning to Termas de Rio Hondo – it’s an amazing track where I’ve always enjoyed racing. Our bike has great potential, and the team and I are ready to give it our all.”

It was an encouraging opening round for 2023 Argentina Sprint winner Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) too, who recovered to a double eighth place finish after having to work his way through from a fifth row start in Thailand.

Team-mate Pedro Acosta will be an interesting watch too – he has a new challenge for the weekend, having never ridden a MotoGP bike at the Argentinean venue.

One thing that is clear is that both have made steps for 2025, with Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) already improving Honda’s best result from 2024 with a P7 at the season opener. Team-mate Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) had plenty to be happy about with his debut going smoothly too.

Fresh off equalling his best result on the Honda RC213V after a strong recovery ride in Thailand, Luca Marini is aiming to replicate his speed in Argentina and avoid the small issues he had in the opening round. Consistency has been key for Marini so far this year, focusing on gathering data through laps and avoiding any costly falls or mistakes. Marini has shown the pace to fight for top Honda honours with both his team-mate Mir and Zarco, a clear and achievable goal for the weekend. A small step in Qualifying could offer potentially huge gains for Marini in the ever-tightening MotoGP field.

Luca Marini

“In Thailand we were able to accomplish a very good weekend overall, so now flying to Argentina I am optimistic we can continue in this way. I don’t think arriving there ‘for the first’ on the Honda will be a problem, the team and I did a lot of work over the off season to get the base of the bike into a good position so I know that we can start correctly. In 2023 I achieved my first Sprint podium in Argentina, and I hope that we can have a positive weekend with the Honda HRC Castrol team. After Argentina, I will go to Brazil for the first time to try the new track we will race at next year – an exciting trip!”

Joan Mir showed his undeniable speed and talent throughout testing and the Thai GP, an unfortunate low-side in Sunday’s race meaning his work went unrewarded. The Spaniard has taken the positives from the start of the year and is eager to get back on his Honda HRC Castrol RC213V and deliver on his and the bike’s potential. Argentina has historically treated Mir well, seventh place in Moto2 his worst finish at the circuit.

Joan Mir

“I am looking forward to this race after what we showed last time out in Thailand. We are capable of a lot and it’s important to get some points on the board and deliver. Argentina will be a different weekend to Thailand because we arrive without testing there but we normally have a very strong base, I think that we can be competitive from the start. In the past I have had some good results in Argentina, so I think the pieces are there to have a solid weekend and keep our season progressing.”

Over at Yamaha, there were reasons to smile despite not following through on their testing success. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) had a tougher Grand Prix but was impressive in the Sprint, taking P7 from 10th on the grid.

Fabio Quartararo

“The Thai GP was quite extreme in terms of temperature, especially on the race day. But we learned from the situation, and now we focus on the Argentina GP. We haven’t been at the Termas track in a while, so I’m sure the fans there are very happy that we’re back again. In the past, this hasn’t been an easy track for me, but, as always, we will give it our all to do a good job.”

Team-mate Alex Rins wasn’t able to back-up Quartararo’s performance but is a double MotoGP podium finisher in Argentina. A whole new venue will be a whole other challenge anyway, after we’ve seen a key difference between their form in Sepang and then Buriram.

Alex Rins

“Yamaha have gone over all the Thai GP data of the first round, and now we go to Argentina. On Friday we will need to focus on managing the grip because it will be low, but this will improve throughout the weekend and then let’s see where we stand. For sure, we never stop pushing, also off track. We are very motivated to keep working and doing whatever it takes to improve.”

A key story for Yamaha in Thailand was Jack Miller’s (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) fourth place in qualifying and just missing the top ten on Sunday, with plenty of potential displayed and a smile on Jack’s face as he looks towards the season ahead. Argentina holds some good and bad memories for the Australian.

In 2018, when also in Pramac colours, Jack Miller took his maiden MotoGP pole in Argentina using slicks on a drying track, becoming the first Independent Ducati rider to do so.

When rain also hit just before the race start that same year, 2018, Miller was the only one who stayed on the grid while others returned to the pits for a tyre change. He started from pole and the others were allowed to start from the back of the grid rather than pit-lane. It was an embarassment for MotoGP.  Jack went on to fight for the podium with Zarco, Rins and Crutchlow before finishing fourth.

Jack Miller

“I‘m really excited for the second round in Argentina after gaining confidence in Thailand and becoming increasingly comfortable with the bike in race conditions. It will be interesting to see how the weather affects the YZR-M1. Termas de Río Hondo is typically a low-grip track, which could be beneficial for Yamaha at this stage of its development. I‘ve always enjoyed riding there, and I love the passion of the fans—it‘s always a true motorcycling festival. I can‘t wait to get back on my Prima Pramac Yamaha bike and start riding. Hopefully we will be able to come out of the weekend with another positive result.”

Current Prima Pramac Yamaha team-mate Miguel Oliveira was 14th in Thailand but with a Grand Prix done, the whole team will have valuable data to learn from and the Portuguese rider will have more confident with the YZR-M1.

Miguel Oliveira

“Termas de Rio Hondo, here I am! I‘m really happy to return to Argentina after three years. I had to miss the 2023 race due to a leg injury, and last year, the event was not on the calendar. Argentina and South America are places where I‘ve always felt comfortable and where I have many passionate fans. Termas de Rio Hondo holds great memories for me with some fantastic races. My goal this weekend is to continue progressing with the bike and the team. So far, Prima Pramac Yamaha has only moved forward, never backward, and that gives me great confidence and motivation to keep improving. I truly appreciate the effort and commitment that Yamaha is putting into giving us the best possible package and helping us compete against other teams. That gives me a big boost in morale, and I‘m excited to see what we can achieve this weekend.”

There’s plenty of positives despite a tough pre-season for Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech 3), who stated that his strength of being fast at the end of Grands Prix is still there; he came through for a ninth place finish in Thailand and was the second KTM at the flag. After coming home nearly last in the Sprint, that was a key boost as the Beast looks to settle in on the RC16.

Meanwhile, team-mate Maverick Viñales hopes that Termas – a circuit where he’s won at – can provide him the chance to turn the tables back on Bastianini, having had the measure of him until the GP race itself.

Beyond Top Gun and the Beast – a movie mash up we’d love to see – rookie Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) bagged points on his debut and will want even more at Termas, where he took his first career pole in Moto2.

For Raul Fernandez, this will be the fourth time he has raced in Argentina having made two appearances since joining the premier class and a debut appearance while still in the junior Moto3 category. Raul had a bruising start to his 2025 campaign after his big testing crash in Malaysia left him nursing a broken hand and little toe but he bounced back to race competively in the opening round of the Championship in Thailand, only to have his progress stopped after an overheating front tyre dropped him from contention in the main Grand Prix.

Raul Fernandez

“Thailand was a good race weekend for us. We didn’t get the result that we wanted, but we had a strong weekend. Overall, I’m happy because also for me it was the first time that I made a long run with the new Aprilia. I feel many positive things and I know the bike better now, which is also important for me. The Autodromo Termas de Rio Hondo is a really good track for Aprilia, they got their first victory there. It’s a circuit that I like and I would like to continue our work from Thailand. I’ll try to do my best, this is the target and hopefully the weather will be good, but we will see. We’ll take it day by day and I’ll always give my maximum.”

Lorenzo Savadori will again ride for Aprilia Racing, taking the place of injured reigning World Champion Jorge Martin as he continues to put in the mileage for the factory to hone the 2025 RS-GP.

Piero Taramasso – Michelin

“This circuit is a unique place in the season, with an asphalt that is quite aggressive on tyres, yet paradoxically offers low grip due to the infrequent use of the facilities. Since it has been two years since we last raced here, our partners will have to start from scratch when setting up the bikes, especially considering the significant progress made since our last visit. We have relied on our database to determine the most suitable tire allocation, with compounds similar to those used in 2023 for the front. Regarding the rear, we have selected a Soft tyre that closely resembles last year’s compound, along with a Medium option that is slightly softer to meet our partners’ needs. Both the front and rear tyres will be symmetrical, regardless of the imbalance in the number of turns (five left and nine right). The first day of practice will undoubtedly be crucial for the weekend’s performance, but as always, we will be there to support our partners.”

While Thailand might have been in a friendly time zone for Aussie followers of the sport, South America is not quite so convenient. The Sprint Race will take places at 0500 Sunday morning (AEDT), while the 25-lap Grand Prix will start at 0500 Monday morning (AEDT).

MotoGP Championship Standings

Moto2

Buriram belonged to Manuel Gonazlez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP). The Spaniard ruled the opening Moto2 weekend of the season by taking pole and victory honours, laying down an early gauntlet to his rivals ahead of a trip to Termas de Rio Hondo.

Aron Canet (Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO) was Gonzalez’s chief competitor in Thailand and having claimed his seventh podium in his last nine races, the Spaniard would love nothing more than to earn 25 points at a circuit he’s tasted podium success at before. Another second place – just like he achieved back in 2018 in Argentina – or better would go down nicely for Canet, and a similar result would do wonders for Buriram’s third place finisher too.

Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) was a standout performer in Thailand with a podium results but Termas is a track he’s yet to tango with.

Tony Arbolino (BLUCRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) salvaged a P13 last time out, so the Italian – plus Alonso Lopez (Team HDR Heidrun) and Jake Dixon (ELF MarcVDS Racing Team), our other two 2023 podium finishers – will be seeking more when Moto2 hits Termas.

And while it’s not Brazil (yet), Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) will have plenty of South American support as the Brazilian aims to climb onto the rostrum for the first time this season after narrowly missing out in Thailand.

Moto2 Championship Standings

Moto3

A victory by more than seven-seconds in Moto3 is pretty much unheard of, but Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) managed to do just that in Thailand to rev his title tilt into life.

Termas is a place Rueda has visited just once before in 2023, but it’s one more than star rookie Alvaro Carpe. The second of the Red Bull KTM Ajo machines showed experience means sweet nothing sometimes, as a debut podium came knocking in Thailand. The same again in Argentina – another track he’s never raced on – would signal an incredible start to life in Moto3.

Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) is another rider who lacks experience in Termas, but he will be confident he can be quick from the get go this weekend.

On the other side of the coin, one rider who does boast a wealth of Termas experience – and podium success – is Dennis Foggia (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team). After a promising return to the class, can the Italian add to his 2022 silver medal to his Argentina honours collection?

Joel Kelso showed great promise in Thailand, running inside the top five in the practice sessions before getting shuffled down to eighth in qualifying thanks to a few last-gasp laps from some competitors. In the race Joel’s best lap was only three-tenths off the fastest lap of the race. The Australian ran as high as third in the battle up front during the race before going down on lap 16 and leaving Thailand empty handed.

Young Kiwi Cormac Buchanan scored a Moto3 World Championship point on his full-time debut and will be looking to add to that tally in Argentina.

Jacob Roulstone will be on the sidelines again for this round as he recovers from his pre-season neck injury but the Australian hopes to be on the grid at COTA later this month.

Moto3 Championship Standings

2025 MotoGP Calendar