The world’s elite MotoGP motorcycle racers will be entrusting their title hopes and perhaps personal safety too on a different brand of rubber in Argentina this weekend.
Alongside Moto2 and Moto3, teams and riders Pirelli will race for the first time ever at the Argentine circuit, host for round two of the 2025 series.
After the absence on the calendar in 2020-21, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and also last year, the Autodromo de Termas de Río Hondo will host the Grand Prix of Argentina within the World Championships for the ninth time.
For Pirelli, which became the supplier of Moto2 and Moto3 in 2024, this will be its debut at the circuit located in the province of Santiago del Estero
Without previous data, Pirelli has decided to make available to the riders of both classes the basic allocation which provides only for standard compounds, therefore tyres that can be regularly purchased on the market.
For each slick solution, each rider will have eight tyres available, a quantity that will allow, if desired, to use over the weekend only the compound identified as preferred both at front and at the rear.
The circuit has a fairly rough grain size within the tarmac, so it is known to be quite aggressive for the tyres but, at the same time, offers poor levels of grip. In addition, at this time of year, in the area where the circuit is located, air temperatures, and therefore also asphalt temperatures, can be quite high, contributing to exaggerating the characteristics, already severe for the tyres, of the track.
As a new circuit for Pirelli, the racing comes with many unknowns
Giorgio Barbier, the motorcycle racing director for Pirelli, said: “Pirelli has never raced at Termas de Río Hondo, neither with Moto2 and Moto3 teams and riders nor with other championships, so it is an absolute debut for us.
“In these cases, in the absence of precise data, the choice of tyre allocation is based on the information gathered by talking to those who, including teams and riders, have already raced here and, of course, on our experience and knowledge of our tyres and their behaviour in conditions similar to those proposed by the Argentine circuit.
“We know that the circuit is one of the most demanding for the tyres on the calendar but, at the same time, what were notoriously difficult circuits for the tyres last year were not particularly difficult for us.
“Of course, there are many unknowns, we don’t know, for example, what conditions the track may be two years after the last Grand Prix and what temperatures we could find, if very high they could make the track even more slippery, compromising its already low grip levels.
“Taking all these aspects into consideration, we decided to tackle this track with our standard compounds, the same ones that last season gave us excellent results and great versatility on very different circuits and in varied conditions.”
Photo courtesy Ducati
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MotoGP World Champs standings after round one:
POS Rider NAT Team (Bike) Points Diff
1 Marc Marquez, SPA, Ducati Lenovo (GP25) 37, –
2 Alex Marquez, SPA, BK8 Gresini Ducati (GP24) 29, 8
3 Francesco Bagnaia, ITA, Ducati Lenovo (GP25) 23, 14
4 Franco Morbidelli, ITA, Pertamina VR46 Ducati (GP24) 18, 19
5 Ai Ogura, JPN, Trackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP25) 17, 20
6 Marco Bezzecchi, ITA, Aprilia Racing (RS-GP25) 10, 27
7 Brad Binder, RSA, Red Bull KTM (RC16) 10, 27
8 Johann Zarco, FRA, Castrol Honda LCR (RC213V) 9, 28
9 Enea Bastianini, ITA, Red Bull KTM Tech3 (RC16) 7, 30
10 Fabio Di Giannantonio, ITA, Pertamina VR46 Ducati (GP25) 6, 31
11 Jack Miller, AUS, Pramac Yamaha (YZR-M1) 5, 32
12 Fabio Quartararo FRA, Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) 4, 33
13 Pedro Acosta SPA, Red Bull KTM (RC16) 4, 33
14 Luca Marini ITA, Honda HRC Castrol (RC213V) 4, 33
15 Fermin Aldeguer, SPA, BK8 Gresini Ducati (GP24) 3, 34
16 Miguel Oliveira, POR, Pramac Yamaha (YZR-M1) 2, 35
17 Joan Mir, SPA, Honda, HRC Castrol (RC213V) 1, 36