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In the past few years, the MotoGP has been ironically renamed the "Ducati Cup". Red has become the color of the premier class, thanks to Gigi Dall'Igna, his men and, of course, the riders who ride the Desmosedici. The usual script was staged in Thailand, with the Ducatis monopolizing the podium in both the Sprint and GP and, on Sunday, they even played their trump card. Leading them in Buriram was Marc Marquez, with his brother Alex just a step behind, and Pecco Bagnaia completing the trio. Will this spectacle be repeated in Argentina?
Most likely, but we can't take it for granted. By now, we know that the Desmosedici does well on all tracks, but it won only once at Termas de Rio Hondo. in the last edition of the Grand Prix held in 2023. Marquez, instead, is the most victorious rider ever in Argentina with three wins in the eight GPs held from 2014 to date, while Bagnaia has never really liked Termas. He's never been on the podium, and his best result is a 5th place finish in 2022, the year of his first MotoGP World Championship.
We alla know that Marc is favored for this round, and he might even have an added bonus because, as mentioned, they didn't race in Argentina last year. This means they might not find the track in optimal condition, considering the fact that it's not used much during the year, so it has poor grip. And this is precisely the situation in which Marquez shines. Remember how he dominated in Aragon last year with the new asphalt and little grip? That's what we mean.
But the Argentine GP has always been special and has also provided some satisfaction for other brands. In 2022, Aleix Espargarò gave Aprilia its first MotoGP victory at Termas de Rio Hondo. It was a historic result for the RS-GP, which proved to behave excellently in those conditions. This is good news, especially for Marco Bezzecchi, winner of the last GP. The rider from Romagna was 2nd in the Sprint and 1st in the race in 2023 (with Zarco and Alex Marquez completing the podium).
Two clues, in this case, aren't evidence (especially thinking about the red hat-trick on Sunday), but Aprilia and Bezzecchi might get a chance against the red army that, so far, seems invincible. A sort of trump card to put a spanner in Borgo Panigale's works.
And they might not be the only ones because, in 2023, the Sprint was won in the short race by Brad Binder in great shape on the KTM. In short, may it hasn't all been decided for next weekend, but it certainly won't be easy to get the better of Ducati and its riders.
