Pramac Ducati’s Jorge Martín rebounded from DNFs in the opening two races of the 2022 MotoGP™ World Championship to score second place in the Argentina Grand Prix on Sunday.
A front-row qualifier at the opening two rounds of the series in Qatar and Indonesia, Martín suffered DNFs in both races.
The Spanish racer was hoping to make it third time lucky in converting a top qualifying result into a podium finish after claiming second in Saturday’s session behind Aleix Espargaró.
A fast start by Martín saw him leap to the front at the Termas de Rio Honda circuit and immediately start to open a gap on the rest of the field with Espargaró.
Despite his best efforts to hold off Espargaró, who was chasing his and Aprilia’s first-ever MotoGP™ wins, Martín lost the lead with just five laps remaining.
The former Moto3™ champion kept the pressure on to finish just 0.807s behind Espargaró and record his first podium finish of the year. Suzuki’s Alex Rins claimed the final podium position, 1.33s behind the winner.
Repsol Honda’s six-time MotoGP™ champion Marc Márquez was again missing from the race grid after suffering a concussion in a heavy fall during qualifying in Indonesia. He was replaced by long-time Honda test rider Stefan Bradl.
Second Repsol Honda rider Pol Espargaró ran as high as third in the early stages of the race, before crashing out of fourth place with 11 laps to go after losing his front end at Turn 2.
Martín’s Pramac Ducati team-mate Johann Zarco, who finished third at the previous round in Indonesia, also crashed out at Turn 2 earlier in the race.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Brad Binder came into Argentina just two points behind Enea Bastianini at the top of the points standings and snatched sixth place on the last lap to maintain his position in the title chase, as Aleix Espargaró moved into the top spot.
Bastianini finished the race in 10th to stay in the top three in the overall points standings.
Takaaki Nakagami finished the race in 12th place, while Indonesia race winner Miguel Oliveira finish one position behind in 13th.
Ducati’s Jack Miller finished right behind Oliveira in 14th, with Álex Márquez 15th, Raul Fernandez 16th and Tech 3 KTM team-mate Remy Gardner 17th.
The next round of the 2022 MotoGP™ World Championship is the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, on April 10.
Grand Prix of Argentina result
- Aleix Espargaró (ESP) Aprilia 41m 36.1980s
- Jorge Martín (ESP) Ducati +0.807s
- Alex Rins (ESP) Suzuki +1.33s
- Joan Mir (ESP) Suzuki +1.831s
- Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) Ducati +5.84s
2022 MotoGP rider standings
- Aleix Espargaró (ESP) Aprilia 45 points
- Brad Binder (RSA) KTM 38
- Enea Bastianini (ITA) Ducati 36
- Alex Rins (ESP) Suzuki 36
- Fabio Quartararo (FRA) Yamaha 35