MotoGP Argentina, Termas – Warm-up Results

* Rookie

Fastest practice time:
Aleix Espargaro SPA Aprilia 1m 38.518s

Official Termas de Rio Hondo MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Marc Marquez SPA Honda 1m 37.683s (2014)
Fastest race lap:
Valentino Rossi ITA Yamaha 1m 39.019s (2015)

Marco Bezzecchi leads a VR46 Ducati one-two during a soaking warm-up session for the 2023 MotoGP of Argentina at Termas de Rio Hondo.

After a damp qualifying and dry Sprint race on Saturday, the heaviest rain of the weekend descended on the circuit for Sunday morning.

Bezzecchi, who set the fastest race lap on his way to a close second behind Brad Binder in yesterday’s Sprint, finished 0.4s clear of team-mate Luca Marini, who completed Saturday’s podium.

Jack Miller jumped up the order to third for KTM with team-mate Binder, who has qualified just ahead of the Australian with 15th on the grid, matching that position in warm-up.

Franco Morbidelli, who enjoyed his best MotoGP race since 2021 with fourth yesterday, was again a competitive fifth in warm-up, just behind Gresini Ducati’s Fabio di Giannantonio.

Morbidelli’s Monster Yamaha team-mate Fabio Quartararo, who has struggled for grip and corner speed throughout the weekend, finished ninth on Saturday and was also ninth this morning.

Ducati’s reigning world champion and 2023 title leader Francesco Bagnaia, a subdued sixth in the Sprint, was seventh quickest in warm-up.

Joan Mir, who underwent hospital checks after an opening lap highside in the Sprint, was declared unfit on Sunday morning due to ‘cranial and cervical trauma’ that caused ongoing ‘nausea and dizziness’.

The Repsol Honda rider’s exit means today’s MotoGP field is reduced to just 17 riders with the former world champion (who had qualified last) joining team-mate Marc Marquez plus Miguel Oliveira, Pol Espargaro and Enea Bastianini on the sidelines.

It now remains to be seen if the weather will improve for this afternoon’s race, which starts at 14:00 local time.

• MotoGP Argentina – Sprint Race Results
• MotoGP Argentina – Full Qualifying Results
• Argentina Moto2: Latest Results
• Argentina Moto3: Latest Results

Bastianini, Oliveira and Marquez hope to return for round three in COTA but Espargaro’s injuries are set to see him sidelined for at least several more events. There are no replacement riders this weekend but Espargaro will be replaced by KTM test rider Jonas Folger next time out.

With Marquez missing, Alex Rins has been given one of the newer Honda chassis as used by the #93 for this weekend – but now also hopes to try one of the other versions used by Joan Mir.

Aleix Espargaro gave Aprilia its first and so far only MotoGP victory in last year’s Termas de Rio Hondo race ahead of Jorge Martin, who was also caught up in the Marquez-Oliveira clash and is riding with an injured foot this weekend.