The last MotoGP race on Argentine soil, the Gran Premio Michelin® de la República Argentina, saw Brad Binder claim victory in the Tissot Sprint in 2023, while Marco Bezzecchi triumphed on Sunday on a wet track. The MICHELIN Power Rain tires performed brilliantly after the Slicks had shone the previous day.
Inaugurated in 2008 and resurfaced in 2014, the Termas de Río Hondo circuit is both demanding and unpredictable. Its 4.806 km layout is relentless, as during this season (the end of summer in Argentina), temperatures can soar, and the track temperature can exceed 50°C. The sequence of turns and successive braking zones, especially at the end of the long 1,078-meter straight, will further intensify the thermal variations affecting both the bikes and the tires.
In Argentina, as everywhere else in the world, the arrival of MotoGP is a true celebration. Throughout the year, the small thermal 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 Grand Prix.
Piero Taramasso, Michelin's two-wheel motorsport manager: “This circuit is a unique place in the season, with an asphalt that is quite aggressive on tires, 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 tire 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 tires 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.”
In the event of rain, Michelin will offer its MICHELIN Power Rain range, with Soft and Medium symmetrical compounds for the front and asymmetric rear tires with reinforced right-side compounds.
Records to beat
The absolute lap record (1'37.683) was set by Marc Marquez, who also holds the records for most victories (three) and pole positions (five). This record dates back to 2014. The fastest race lap record was set in 2015 by Valentino Rossi (1'39.019). The highest top speed recorded at the Argentine track belongs to Jorge Martin, who was clocked at 345.5 km/h in 2023. It is clear that the teams present at Termas de Río Hondo will be eager to break all these records.
The Gran Premio YPF Energía de Argentina will begin on Friday, March 14, with an initial free practice session from 10:45 to 11:30 am local time. The afternoon practice session (3:00 to 4:00 pm) will allow the ten fastest riders to qualify directly for the second phase of qualifying (Q2). After a final free practice session on Saturday morning (10:10 to 10:40 am), Q1 will give two additional riders a chance to advance to Q2 (11:15 to 11:30 am), which will determine the starting grid for the weekend. The Tissot Sprint (12 laps) will take place on Saturday at 3:00 pm, while the Grand Prix (25 laps) is scheduled for Sunday, March 16, again at 3:00 pm.
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