MotoGP™ rounded the overcast Termas de Rio Hondo circuit for the second round of the season and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Brad Binder was the highest classified racer after 25 laps by taking his KTM RC16 to 7th place in Argentina. Pedro Acosta was also in the top ten with 9th while the KTM GP Academy were encouraged by Jose Antonio Rueda’s fight for victory in Moto3™.
The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Red Bull KTM Tech3 teams advanced their development for the 2025 KTM RC16 with another busy and useful Grand Prix race this season. All four riders probed the limits of adhesion and possibilities through the 4.8km layout in northern Argentina for the first event back at Termas in two years.
Brad Binder was the most competitive runner from the quartet. The South African burst into the top six in the opening laps from 11th on the grid in a typically feisty performance. He couldn’t go with the pace of the top five and had to conserve his tires and grip in the last third of the race. 7th was an improvement over the points taken in Thailand. Pedro Acosta was initially with his teammate but then dropped a few places to regulate tire temperature before fighting back as the laps counted down. The 20-year-old suffered a little with arm-pump but confirmed 9th and his first Sunday Grand Prix points of the season.
Maverick Viñales made considerable gains from the rear of the field to move close to the top ten and acquire 13th for three championship points. Enea Bastianini tried to show his best potential in the longer Grand Prix distance but had a crash when he was forced wide on the second lap. The Italian remounted for 18th. MotoGP stays in the Americas with round three taking the series to COTA in Austin, Texas in a fortnight.
Brad Binder, 7th and 8th in the championship standings: “I’m happy because I gave absolutely everything I had from the first lap. Also happy to get some points after what happened yesterday. I had a decent enough start and tried to go with the guys. I knew it would be tricky once we had our tire drop but I did my best and tried to make zero mistakes. Unfortunately, 7th was a good as it was going to be today. We are strong in braking and entry but we need to find more grip on the edge of the rear tire. Once we do that then life will get much easier for us.”
Pedro Acosta, 9th and 10th in the championship standings: “The bike was working better but we need to understand why it is changing for us between the sessions. My race was more a handicap of high pressure in the front, once I controlled that I could move forward and pass other riders. I was catching Brad at the end but then had some arm-pump and it was hard to change direction in some corners. The only time I had arm-pump in my life was my first race in MotoGP. Normally I don’t have these things. I don’t think it is something important.”
Maverick Viñales, 13th and 17th in the championship standings: “It’s been an important weekend. We didn’t start as we wanted but we recovered a lot of information that brought us up to a better position. I rode the bike a lot better in the race and this gives us motivation for the next one because I think we found a way to go and I felt an improvement.”
Enea Bastianini, 18th and 13th in the championship standings: “My race finished very early! I was happy until that point because I made a good start and was fighting for 13th by the second lap…but, well, nothing but I was pushed out and I crashed. I came back on track and I wanted to finish the race to see my feeling. I didn’t have any wings on the left side but my pace was good. I was unlucky today.”
Aki Ajo, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “After a challenging Saturday we have to be happy for the progress we made for the Grand Prix race. We have to be positive about being in the top ten with both riders in our team but, of course, it is not what we want. After the extreme conditions in Thailand we have more important information here. It’s time for more analysis and to see what we can do in the short term for the next races.”
Results MotoGP Grand Prix of Argentina
1. Marc Marquez (ESP) Ducati 41:11.100
2. Alex Marquez (ESP) Ducati +1.362
3. Franco Morbidelli (ITA) Ducati +4.695
7. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +14.294
9. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +15.646
13. Maverick Viñales (ESP) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +22.319
18. Enea Bastianini (ITA) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +40.179
World Championship standings MotoGP
1. Marc Marquez (ESP) Ducati, 74 points
2. Alex Marquez (ESP) Ducati, 58
3. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) Ducati, 43
8. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 19
10. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 12
13. Enea Bastianini (ITA) Red Bull KTM Tech3, 7
17. Maverick Viñales (ESP) Red Bull KTM Tech3, 3
KTM GP Academy
The KTM RC4 showed its mettle in the hands of various ambitious youngsters for the 18-lap Moto3 race on Sunday morning. Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Spanish duo Alvaro Carpe and Jose Antonio Rueda started from 4th and 5th on the grid to form part of the leading sect. Red Bull KTM Tech3’s rookie Valentin Perrone had done well to qualify inside the top ten for his first home Grand Prix also tried to force his way into the reckoning. Replacement teammate Joel Esteban was quick as well in contention for points as the pack threaded its way around the wide and flowing course.
The Moto3 hoards remained bunched until the last five of the race when the podium dispute filtered to seven runners, Rueda and Carpe among them. In the final dash Rueda had the lead into the penultimate corner but in the jostle crossed the line in P3 for his sixth career podium. The #99 heads the standings by 5 points. Carpe crashed on the exit of Turn 1. Esteban had a Long Lap penalty for running off-track and was 16th while Peronne pushed hard but fell on the last lap. Red Bull KTM Ajo leads the Team standings and KTM front the Constructors table.
Jose Antonio Rueda: “An incredible race and a lot of overtakes. I expected that! I’m happy to be back on the podium and getting more points for the championship. We have to keep working like this.”
Deniz Öncü and Collin Veijer were in the thick of early Moto2 action and the 21-lap affair that followed the Moto3 spectacle on Sunday in Argentina. The Turk and Dutchman blasted away from the second half of the start grid; Öncü in the search for sharper lap-times and the strongest possible finish while Veijer sought progress with his feeling and education in the Moto3 field. By the time of the checkered flag Öncü had bagged points for the second GP in a row with 14th while his teammate made it to 24th.
Results Moto3 Grand Prix of Argentina
1. Angel Piqueras (ESP), KTM 32:31.938
2. Adrian Fernandez (ESP) Honda +0.036
3. Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP), Red Bull KTM Ajo +0.125
11. Dennis Foggia (ITA) CFMOTO Aspar Team +4.990
16. Joel Esteban (ESP), Red Bull KTM Tech3 +7.822
20. Jakub Rosenthaler (AUT) CFMOTO Aspar Team +21.940
DNF. Alvaro Carpe (ESP), Red Bull KTM Ajo
DNF. Valentin Perrone (ARG) Red Bull KTM Tech3
World Championship standings Moto3
1. Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP), Red Bull KTM Ajo 41 points
2. Adrian Fernandez (ESP) Honda, 36
3. Angel Piqueras (ESP), KTM, 29
5. Alvaro Carpe (ESP), Red Bull KTM Ajo, 20
8. Dennis Foggia (ITA) CFMOTO Aspar Team, 15
13. Joel Esteban (ESP), Red Bull KTM Tech3, 7
NC. Valentin Perrone (ARG) Red Bull KTM Tech3, 0
NC. Jakub Rosenthaler (AUT) CFMOTO Aspar Team, 0
Results Moto2 Grand Prix of Argentina
1. Jake Dixon (GBR) 35:48.793
2. Manuel Gonzalez (ESP) +3.525
3. Celestino Vietti (ITA) +10.098
9. Daniel Holgado (ESP) CFMOTO Aspar Team +19.035
14. Deniz Öncü (TUR) Red Bull KTM Ajo +23.216
20. David Alonso (COL) CFMOTO Aspar Team +29.518
24. Collin Veijer (NED) Red Bull KTM Ajo +50.421
World Championship standings Moto2
1. Manuel Gonzalez (ESP), 45 points
2. Jake Dixon (GBR), 34
3. Aron Canet (ESP), 33
7. Daniel Holgado (ESP) CFMOTO Aspar Team, 15
16. Deniz Öncü (TUR) Red Bull KTM Ajo, 6
NC. Collin Veijer (NED) Red Bull KTM Ajo
NC. David Alonso (COL) CFMOTO Aspar Team