At the Argentine GP, Marc Marquez will win... or fall

Marc Marquez's first laps in red have been a resounding success: pole position, sprint victory and during the Thailand Grand Prix, the Catalan left only crumbs to his rivals, including Pecco Bagnaia, his teammate rival announced for the championship title. The former Honda rider will have to continue his harvest of success from the second meeting of the season in Argentina, next weekend (March 14-16).

On the Termas de Rio Hondo track, Marc Marquez has had mixed fortunes since his first race in 2014. World champion for his first year in 2013, the Spaniard began his second season in the premier class with an impressive series of ten consecutive victories, including one in the third round of the season in Argentina. Author of the pole and the victory, Marquez is untouchable and seems set to repeat the feat the following year. Once again the fastest in qualifying in 2015, the Catalan is attacked by Valentino Rossi two laps from the finish. The Italian takes the lead, despite a little contact with the Honda, and while trying to respond, Marc Marquez falls at the moment of the angle change.

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Marquez completely misses the mark in 2018

He set the record straight in 2016 with a crushing weekend (pole and victory with a seven-second lead), but in 2017, Marc Marquez made another mistake. Author of his fourth pole position in as many Grands Prix in Argentina, the native of Cervera fell all alone, while leading the race. In 2018, Marquez showed all his bad sides by making a series of grotesque mistakes and maneuvers. Penalized with a drive-through after going the wrong way on the starting grid, the Spaniard received an additional penalty for pushing Aleix Espargaro.

Then the drama happened: too aggressive, he sent his great rival Valentino Rossi to the mat and took another penalty after the finish which dropped him from 5th to 18th place. Furious, the Italian refused the apologies of his younger brother, who showed himself to be cleaner the following year by winning the Grand Prix ahead of Rossi this time. Triple winner in Argentina, Marc Marquez has not set foot there for six years: the event was cancelled in 2020, 2021 and 2024 and the eight-time world champion was injured during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He will make his return to Termas de Rio Hondo with the label of big favourite on a circuit where he has secured five pole positions in six participations. This promises another exciting weekend on a track where the Spaniard wins as often as he falls.

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