MotoGP Argentina Race: Crutchlow ahead of Zarco and Rins, Marquez sanctioned after causing Rossi to fall!

Here we are at the second event of a 2018 season which started off with a bang with a duel between Márquez et Dovizioso in Qatar. The first match went to the official Ducati who this time seems to be more than suffering in Argentina. But the uncertain weather, a Termas de Rio Hondo track with changing grip, and a starting grid made up of strong outsiders at the top, leave all possible predictions open. Especially with a Jack Miller fearless as pack leader!

Because it is indeed the Australian at the Ducati Pramac who sits at the top of the hierarchy before the wild animals are released. The proof in the table… This is the fiftieth start in the premier category for the Townsville native. The last time an Australian achieved such a performance was at Phillip Island in 2012 with Casey Stoner.

#ArgentinaGP MotoGP	2017	2018
FP1	1'40.356 Maverick Vinales	1'40.303 Dani Pedrosa (See here)
FP2	1'39.477 Maverick Vinales	1'39.395 Marc Marquez (See here)
FP3	1'39.772 Cal Crutchlow	1'48.896 Marc Marquez (See here)
FP4	1'50.042 Marc Marquez	1'49.358 Marc Marquez (See here)
Qualification 1	1'49.235 Dani Pedrosa	1'49.128 Aleix Espargaro (See here)
Qualification 2	1'47.512 Marc Marquez	1'47.153 Jack Miller (See here)
Warm Up	1'39.620 Maverick Vinales	1'48.428 Marc Marquez
Course	Vinales, Rossi, Crutchlow
All time lap record	1'37.683 Marc Marquez 2014

This is the fifteenth time that the Grand Prix world has stopped in Argentina. But only the fifth, on the Termas de Rio Hondo route. The other editions of the last century took place near Buenos Aires and only Valentino Rossi can talk about it… Since he then triumphed in 250cc in 1998, before winning on the current site in 2015 in MotoGP…

The last eleven races have been won by either a Ducati or a Honda. To the five achievements of Dovizioso add the five successes of Márquez and a victory of Pedrosa. Johann zarco for his part, is on the front row of a Grand Prix in the premier category for the sixth time in a row. The Frenchman has also been in the points at the end of the last eighteen races.

In view of the only times lined up by Marc Marquez during the free practice sessions, the race seemed won by the Honda official. But the latter will start sixth... On a track certainly spared from the rain but with very present patches of treacherous humidity which will seriously complicate overtaking.

The choice of tires is crucial. In a race declared "wet", the dilemma is to know whether to start with tires for the dry or to temper by starting your competition with "rain" before returning to the pit and taking your machine set for dry bitumen. Morbidely, as soon as he entered the grid he already made his decision: twenty-second, he decided to start from the pit lane in the dry.

An initiative that the last four lines follow from the start of the national anthem, then finally the rest of the set…

Faced with this mass desertion, alone Miller remaining on the grid, because having already opted for slicks, the officials decided to delay the start... Much to the chagrin of the Australian who could have started alone, thus taking maximum advantage of his good initial choice!

And while the others push their motorbikes…

Jack Miller waits…

The management decides to reduce the Grand Prix by one lap. We will therefore fight for 24 passages.

But for all that, we will not leave with the order of the starting grid decided by the qualifications... These untimely entries into the stands, after the deadline, have indeed consequences... Everyone will start several places behind the clinging Ducati Pramac rider to its leading position which has never lived up to its name so well...

When it's time to set off, Marquez stalls and reaches the back of the grid... Miller takes the lead in front Pedrosa, zarco and.. Marquez. The first round is completed with Miller in the lead who resists Marquez. zarco et Pedrosa hang on and the Honda official falls. But how Marquez, who stalled on the grid, pushed his bike to restart it, could he have been allowed to stay on the track rather than being forced to return to the pits?

A question that also arises and finally the commissioners who put the procedure under investigation... After four rounds, Marquez leads ahead Miller, Kidneys, zarco et Crutchlow. Dovi is seventh and Red ninth. Vinales eleventh point, Lorenzo, twenty-second…

Marc Marquez is recalled to the pit lane to serve a penalty after five laps completed.

Marquez does so and leaves in nineteenth place, forced into a crazy comeback... Let him start by lining up the laps in 1'40, well over a second better than everyone in front. Furious, he frees the Aprilia fromAlex Espargaro of its unceremonious trajectory... A real attack. During this time, Miller leads ahead Kidneys et zarco who ride with a soft front.

On your mind, Miller contains as best it can Kidneys, zarco et Crutchlow. Dovizioso, fifth, is more than ten seconds behind this group. Marquez is then twelfth. He is still the only one in 1'40 per lap!

Ten laps from the goal, Dovizioso gives way to the two Yamahas and finds himself seventh. Kidneys did everything he could to overpower Miller but without success. zarco et Crutchlow don't miss a beat of this duel... Marquez is now only four seconds from fifth place in Vinales…and two seconds from Dovizioso.

With nine laps to go, Kidneys takes orders. But he missed a lap later and fell back to fourth. At this stage, it is Crutchlow who seems the fastest of this group of four on the way to victory. Marquez offers Dovi's scalp.

Six laps from the end, Crutchlow et zarco raise your voice to win. Miller pick up and Kidneys tries to hang on. Marquez arrives on the two official Yamahas… And hooks Red who is falling! One event follows another with zarco who takes orders.

The last two rounds are promised to a war between zarco, Crutchlow et Kidneys. It is the Englishman who will win ahead of the French and the Spaniard. Marquez finished sixth ahead Vinales et Dovi. Before a sanction? She falls: Marquez eighteenth. Marquez leaves to apologize and is released from Yamaha by Uccio…

MotoGP Argentina Race:

1	Cal CRUTCHLOW	40'36.342		LCR Honda CASTROL
2	Johann ZARCO	40'36.593	+0.251 / 0.251	Monster Yamaha Tech 3
3	Alex RINS	40'38.843	+2.501 / 2.250	Team SUZUKI ECSTAR
4	Jack MILLER	40'40.732	+4.390 / 1.889	Alma Pramac Racing
5	Maverick VIÑALES	40'51.283	+14.941 / 10.551	Movistar Yamaha MotoGP
6	Andrea DOVIZIOSO	40'58.875	+22.533 / 7.592	Ducati Team
7	Tito RABAT	40'59.368	+23.026 / 0.493	Avintia Racing
8	Andrea IANNONE	41'00.263	+23.921 / 0.895	Team SUZUKI ECSTAR
9	Hafizh SYAHRIN	41'00.653	+24.311 / 0.390	Monster Yamaha Tech 3
10	Danilo PETRUCCI	41'02.345	+26.003 / 1.692	Alma Pramac Racing
11	Pol ESPARGARO	41'07.364	+31.022 / 5.019	Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
12	Scott REDDING	41'08.233	+31.891 / 0.869	Aprilia Racing Team Gresini
13	Takaaki NAKAGAMI	41'08.794	+32.452 / 0.561	LCR Honda IDEMITSU
14	Franco MORBIDELLI	41'18.403	+42.061 / 9.609	EG 0,0 Marc VDS
15	Jorge LORENZO	41'18.616	+42.274 / 0.213	Ducati Team
16	Alvaro BAUTISTA	41'18.967	+42.625 / 0.351	Angel Nieto Team
17	Thomas LUTHI	41'19.692	+43.350 / 0.725	EG 0,0 Marc VDS
18	Marc MARQUEZ	41'20.202	+43.860 / 0.510	Repsol Honda Team
19	Valentino ROSSI	41'28.424	+52.082 / 8.222	Movistar Yamaha MotoGP
20	Karel ABRAHAM	41'40.286	+63.944 / 11.862	Angel Nieto Team
21	Xavier SIMEON	41'46.486	+70.144 / 6.200	Avintia Racing
-	Bradley Smith	29'19.28		Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
-	Alex ESPARGARO	22'32.967		Aprilia Racing Team Gresini
-	Dani PEDROSA	00'00.		Repsol Honda Team