The second round of the 2025 FIM MotoGP World Championship™ took place at the Autódromo Internacional de Termas de Río Hondo. This circuit, inaugurated in 2008 and resurfaced in 2014, is renowned for its abrasive asphalt. Measuring 4.806 km in length, it is characterized by a series of technical corners and demanding braking zones, particularly at the end of the long 1,078-meter straight, which generates significant thermal stress on brakes and tires.
The generally warm climate of the region can accelerate tire wear, with track temperatures often exceeding 50°C, significantly reducing grip. However, this weekend defied expectations: a persistent overcast sky remained throughout the three days of action, keeping track temperatures below 35°C, with a maximum air temperature of 27°C.
Another favorable factor was the condition of the track. Usually disadvantaged by low usage rates, the circuit was cleaner than usual from Friday onwards. The grip level was satisfactory right from the start, allowing riders to focus immediately on setup adjustments during the first free practice session.
Lap times improved rapidly throughout the sessions. By Friday's Practice, six riders from four different manufacturers had already lapped faster than the circuit's absolute record, set by Marc Marquez in 2014.
Ultimately, it was the Spanish Ducati rider who improved this record with a time of 1'36.917, securing pole position in Q2. By the end of qualifying, fifteen riders had broken the 2014 record.
After securing pole, Marc Marquez won the Tissot Sprint, finishing ahead of his brother Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) and his teammate Francesco Bagnaia. He completed the 12 laps of the circuit 19.542 seconds faster than the 2023 sprint race time.
During this sprint race, Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) set a new speed record of 350.4 km/h. All riders were equipped with MICHELIN Power Slick Medium tires at the front and Soft at the rear.
The records continued to fall during the Gran Premio YPF Energía de Argentina 2025, once again won by Marc Marquez, ahead of Alex Marquez, while Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) completed the podium. The Ducati rider set the fastest race lap in 1'38.243 and achieved the shortest-ever Grand Prix race time (41'11.100), improving the previous benchmark set by Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) in 2015 by 25.544 seconds.
It is also worth noting the consistency of the MICHELIN Power Slick Soft rear tire, used by Franco Morbidelli, while the Marquez brothers opted for a Medium tire.
“We have just experienced an exceptional race weekend, in front of a large and ever-passionate crowd here in Argentina. Many fans traveled from neighboring countries, including a strong Brazilian community, which contributed to the festive atmosphere of the event,” said Piero Taramasso, Michelin's two-wheel competition manager. “All records fell this year, and we return to Clermont-Ferrand proud of the performance and consistency of our tires. It is important to highlight that we had not raced on this circuit for two years. Our partners had to start from scratch in terms of setup, while we capitalized on our databases and digital simulation tools to prepare for this round. We brought to Termas a tire allocation that was stiffer at the front and softer at the rear compared to 2023. In Argentina, the MICHELIN Power Slick rear and front tires were symmetrical, despite the circuit's asymmetry (5 left-hand corners versus 9 right-hand corners). All specifications performed flawlessly throughout the weekend, and many riders shared their satisfaction and confidence with us.”
The FIM MotoGP World Championship continues with the third round, taking place from March 28 to 30 in Austin, Texas, at the Circuit of the Americas.
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