The Autodromo Termas de Rio Hondo is the venue for the third race of the 2015 MotoGP season. We have journeyed to South America, and will race on a monstrously fast, but very abrasive track.
The Grand Prix of Argentina, could set the tone for the rest of the MotoGP season. This track is so hard on tires, Bridgestone has produced a new rear tire with a hard compound. The track is nearly three miles long, with 14 corners. The teams have an idea of what to expect with the setups on this track. Scott Redding says that the track conditions were treacherous. This year, there is more data, for all the riders.
For Redding, he knows the track more, and is racing on a new bike, for a new team. Rio Hondo has a very good flow between the corners. Tires are built for the specific circuit. Last year, there was blistering on the tires, because this is a low grip track. The gearing of the bikes, will come with time. The teams will return to Europe for half a dozen races, followed by the second U.S. race, four more in Europe, three on the Pacific rim, and then, closing the season out in Valencia, Spain, back in Europe.
Hiroshi Aoyama takes Dani Pedrosa's place again this weekend. Suzuki and Aprilia are back in the championship. Suzuki's team boss, Davide Brivio, says that they wanted to come into the series in 2014. With the electronics regs changes, Suzuki, was not ready. They had to redesign the software. The riders do like the new motorcycle. The bike has an inline four cylinder motor, and they want to eveentually have customer bikes.
Testing and development, continues. Suzuki has their first front row spot in their return to MotoGP competition. The bikes are gridding up, as we look at the track. This course is 2.99 miles, with 14 corners, and an abrasive surface. Factory riders will run an extra hard rear Bridgestone tires. 25 laps scheduled. In qualifying, it was thrilling. Marc Marquez used all three tires. Aleix Espargaro on the Suzuki, brought the team a dront row strart.
Andrea Ianonne is third on the factory Ducati. Neither team can use the extra hard rear tire. Cal Crutchlow made a mistake. Jorge Lorenzo felt slowed down, and starts fifth. Yamaha has a strong race pace. Can anyone beat Marc Marquez? Manage the tires. This track eats them alive. Nail the start on this flowing track. Go for points. Chasing Marquez, will trash your tires. We're going racing, next.
We wait for the lights to go out, and it's going to be a very hotly contested race, as we come to Argentina, for the second straight year. Marc Marquez is the man to beat. This is the first Grand Prix, for the factory class, using the super hard rear tire. Let's go racing. Valentino Rossi leads the championship, by a point. Marquez and Crutchlow have only taken the hard tire, instead of the extra hard.
Here we go. At the start, Marquez and Espargaro lead away. Andrea Ianonne gets swamped. Espargaro leads on the Suzuki. Crutchlow and Dovizioso are going for it. Espargaro leads right now onto the one kilometer back straight. Marquez swallows up the Suzuki. Jorge Lorenzo moves inside Casl Crutchlow. Andrea Ianonne drops back. Lorenzo has to watch out so he doesn't make a mistake. Aleix Espargaro is still fighting, running wide. Lorenzo has to catch Marquez, who is breaking away from the field, and here comes Espargaro! Lorenzo gets second.
Marquez is right where he wanted to be. He's got 8/10ths of a second over the rest of the field. Valentino Rossi has eighth place, where he started. Cal Crutchlow battles Aleix Espargaro. Crutchlow makes the pass, for third, fair and square. Andrea Dovizioso moves to second on the factory Ducati. Ianonne is coming back up, while Espargaro's Suzuki is sixth. Marquez is leading. He won here last year.
Cal Crutchlow has taken second from Jorge Lorenzo and here comes Andrea Dovizioso. Andrea Ianonne also pressures Lorenzo. Lorenzo is the only top six rider, using the extra hard tire. Marquez is breaking away by 1.6 seconds. Aleix Espargaro sinks to seventh on the Suzuki. Valentino Rossi is on the extra hard rear tire saving it for the latter part of this race. Crutchlow is still second. He wants to get a podium here in Argentina. Marquez has a two second lead. Crutchlow is pushing, keeping the Ducati's at bay.
Danilo Petrucci, Yonny Hernandez, and others, are running well. Aleix Espargaro seems to be falling down the order. Lorenzo and Rossi battle on the two factory Yamaha's. Marquez continues to lead. Marc Marquez flies through turns ten and eleven. He's slightly concerned about the rear tire. But, he's ahead by a country mile, and it's already lap four. 2.5 seconds from Marquez to Crutchlow. Rossi tries passing his team mate for fourth. Manage the tires. What will happen with track temperature?
Last year, the tires began to blister here at Termas de Rio Hondo. Will this happen again? Lorenzo is on the medium front tire, and Rossi, on the hard compound front. Rossi is pushing, hard. He's too far back to try and pass Lorenzo. Twenty laps remain in Argentina. Rossi is sixth, going through turn four, into sixth gear, at 210 miles an hour, on a motorcycle! Just amazing! Rossi is all over Lorenzo. Dovizioso and Ianonne are coming, and here comes Rossi, making a pass on his team mate.
Andrea Ianonne is currently fourth. Crutchlow remains second. The advantage is 3.2 seconds through just five or six laps of racing. Rossi passes Lorenzo back, for fifth. Marquez continues adding to his advantage as we watch a replay of Crutchlow running wide, allowing the Ducati to move ahead. onny Hernandez, has a fire on his Pramac Ducati. It's really on fire. Did the rear tire explode? An oil fire, for sure. Game over for Yonny Hernandez.
Jorge Lorenzo has fallen to sixth spot, behind Rossi. Rossi is running even quicker than Marquez though. He moves ahead of Andrea Ianonne. Is Rossi coming back? He sure is. "The Doctor" is still in the house. Rossi is now fourth as we see a battle between Dovizioso, Crutchlow, and Rossi. Through turns two, three, and four, then to five, and onto the back straight. Rossi tries. He wants to get Crutchlow. He's not close enough. Marquez and Rossi are the only riders in the 1:39 lap time range.
Crutchlow loses a spot to Rossi, and almost falls! Oh wow! Crutchlow is under pressure from Ianonne. He ran off onto the dirty section, where all the clag is. Watch Marquez's lap times, too. Marquez is still the quickest rider on track as we work lap eleven. One lap to halfway. Here comes Rossi into second past Dovizioso's Ducati GP15. Rossi's rear tire should last. It's the extra hard one of course.
Bridgestone says that you start with lots of grip, then there's a little drop off. The fastest laps are still to come. Keep something in reserve. Keep it in the locker, and then, unlock what you've got, and start pushing. Crutchlow gets passed by Ianonne. Rossi was tapped by Andrea Ianonne in replay. Marc Marquez still has a four second lead. Marquez won here last year. But, he came from sixth place. This time, he's ahead. The gap between Marquez and Rossi on the last lap was six thousandths of a second.
Moving to lap 14, he's four seconds clear on Rossi. Pol Espargaro started eighteenth and has gained half of the spots from where he started, in ninth. He's behind his brother. Stefan Bradl is going to get some points running for Forward Racing on the Yamaha. He battles for top Open class honors with Hector Barbera, and Jack Miller. We're gearing up, folks, for a great finish, here in Argentina. Marquez's gap has been shrinking. He's on the softer compound rear tire. Rossi is taking 3/10ths or more of a second, each time by.
Andrea Dovizioso on the Ducati is also right there. Rossi is coming, and fast. Less than ten laps to go. It looked like Marquez had this race done and dusted, and in the bag. Not even close! Rossi is coming, while Dovizioso and Ducati, hold third. Rossi is pushing. Marquez is easing off a little bit to preserve the rear tire. Valentino Rossi is continuing to push, and so is Dovizioso. Cal Crutchlow goes inside Andrea Ianonne, retaking fourth, as Jorge Lorenzo is catching these two. Marquez on hard tires, is still ahead.
Don't forget, Marc Marquez had the extra hard tire, before changing to the option tire, on the grid, before the race began. If things end the way they are now, Marquez and Rossi will be even, headed for the first race in Europe, at Jerez, in Spain. Is Marquez looking after his tires? Rossi is consistent, and confident in the rear tire. Rossi is shaving away 2/10ths of a second, with three or four laps left now.
The gap is closing as Rossi runs a 1:39.399, his personal best lap. Well, there's more like seven laps left. The hard tires are dropping off, now. Marquez took a gamble. Does he have anything left in the locker? Rossi is closing, and fast. Crutchlow, Ianonne, and Lorenzo, still battle. The gap is two seconds between Marquez and Rossi, now with six laps left. Andrea Dovizioso is becoming a part of the fight again. Marquez now has a lead under two seconds. The lead is down to 1.7. Rossi is pushing.
Catching and passing, are two different things. If he is pushing, Marquez's tires will fall off more. He needs to cool it, towards the end of this race. Rossi is only within 1.5 seconds, as Rossi runs a 1:39.019, a new lap record! It's a shootout between Marquez and Rossi. Andrea Dovizioso, is going to be third. It's mano e mano, Rossi and Marquez. Rossi is going to pounce as soon as he can. Four laps left. They go through turns seven and eight. Let's watch Marc Marquez to see if he's got anything else in reserve.
The gap is down to 1.l57 seconds. Will the hard option rear tire hold up? The gap is closing. Rossi is as close as he's been all race. Three laps left now. Rossi eats another tenth out of the gap. Rossi is almost right with Marquez. Three laps to go. This has been some race. Rossi wants his second win of 2015, and so does Marquez. Marquez is twitching on the rear tire. They fly down the back straight. Into turn five. Marquez runs over the curb. Rossi is cloising, and can smell blood. Will Marquez's gamble pay off?
Rossi is right with Marquez. Two laps left in the Grand Prix of Argentina. Here comes Rossi! He looks inside and takes the lead. Rossi comes back. Now, Rossi on the brakes, back up the i9nside, and they touch! Marquez has wrecked! He's out of this one! No points for Marc Marquez! His race is run! Rossi will win the Grand Prix of Argentina, to increase his lead in the championship! Holy smokes! It's the final lap. Marquez clipped Rossi's rear wheel. Andrea Dovizioso will finish second. The stewards, will investigate this wreck. Marquez clips the back of Rossi.
Race Director Mike Webb will look at the incident. Shades of the Johann Zarco and Xavier Simeon fracas in Texas, last weekend in Moto 2. But, Valentino Rossi wins it! "The Doctor" is in the house! Cal Crutchlow gets past Andrea Ianonne, and is on the podium, in third!
#46 Valentino Rossi ITA. Yamaha
Valentino Rossi continues his decorated career, for his 84th career MotoGP win. If his victory stands, he'll open a sure gap in the World Championship. The next race for MotoGP is the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuito de Jerez, in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, three weeks from now.
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