For the second round of its 2023 calendar, MotoGP travelled to Argentina in South America this weekend, marking its eighth appearance at Termas de Rio Hondo. Opened in 2008 and resurfaced in 2014, this notoriously abrasive, 4.806km circuit features 14 corners – five left-handers and nine right. Due to its irregular use, competitors were greeted upon their arrival by a particularly dirty track, offering low grip levels. The changeable weather and cool conditions (20°C track temperature) over the weekend complicated matters further and, with grip at a premium, riders found themselves needing to tread a fine line between pushing hard and pushing too far, resulting in some sensational battles.
Tyre strategy to the fore in qualifying
Michelin took three specifications of MICHELIN Power Slick tyre to Argentina for the front (Soft, Medium and Hard), plus its Medium and Hard options for the rear. These were complemented by the asymmetric Medium and Soft MICHELIN Power Rain for wet weather.
"Taking into account free practice, qualifying, the sprint race and the grand prix itself, all the available specifications were used," reveals Piero Taramasso, Manager of Michelin's two-wheel motorsport programmes. "Friday's two practice sessions and FP3 on Saturday morning took place on a dry track with the MICHELIN Power Slick, but the rainfall prior to Q1 obliged the riders to switch to the Medium and Soft MICHELIN Power Rain tyres. Q2 proved to be a spectacular affair, as the rain abated and a dry line began to appear. Three riders opted to bolt on slicks – Soft at the front and Medium at the rear – and their bold approach paid off as they secured the top three spots on the starting grid."
Profiting from his decision and the grip provided by Michelin's slicks, Gresini Racing MotoGP's Alex Márquez claimed his first career pole position in the top flight, in front of Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), who had both similarly made the transition from wets to slicks before the end of Q2.
Little grip but maximum entertainment in the sprint race
Saturday's 12-lap Sprint race took place on a track that was still damp, dirty and cold (maximum 25°C), with minimal grip. The majority of competitors chose Hard tyres for the front, with the entire grid plumping for Medium at the rear.
The conditions made it a real challenge to find the tyres' optimum operating window, but one rider who struck that balance to perfection was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Brad Binder, who stormed from 15th on the grid to victory ahead of Mooney VR46 Racing Team duo Bezzecchi and Luca Marini.
Wet conditions for the Gran Premio Michelin® de la República Argentina
Sunday morning dawned gloomy still, presenting riders with a wet track surface. The warm-up took place on MICHELIN Power Rain rubber. Following a brief respite, the precipitation returned and the race director declared the grand prix a 'wet race'. The entire field duly took the start at 14:00 local time on MICHELIN Power Rain Medium tyres front and rear.
"The MICHELIN Power Rain tyres were in their element in the extremely wet conditions," reports Piero Taramasso. "You could clearly see the tyre tread cutting through the water and granting riders excellent grip despite the poor weather. The consistency of lap times throughout the race was equally impressive. Marco Bezzecchi progressively increased his advantage at the front of the field, while back in the pack, Johann Zarco made up three positions over the course of the final three laps by taking nearly six seconds out of his rivals."
The 2023 Gran Premio Michelin de la República Argentina was won by Bezzecchi from Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) and Alex Márquez.
Round three of the FIM MotoGP World Championship campaign – the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas – will take place from Friday, April 14, to Sunday, April 16, at Austin's Circuit of the Americas in Texas, USA.
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