MotoGP™ returned to the overcast Termas de Rio Hondo circuit for the second round of the season, with Brad Binder of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing finishing as the highest-placed rider after 25 laps, securing 7th place on his KTM RC16 in Argentina. Pedro Acosta also made it into the top ten, finishing 9th, while the KTM GP Academy was buoyed by Jose Antonio Rueda’s strong push for victory in Moto3™.
Brad Binder started from 11th and delivered another impressive performance on Sunday, making up positions throughout the entire race. His teammate, Pedro Acosta, earned eight points over the weekend with a 9th-place finish in the Saturday Sprint and another 9th on Sunday. Maverick Viñales showed a solid performance, guiding his Red Bull KTM Tech3 RC16 to 13th, while teammate Enea Bastianini took 18th, as both new recruits continued to adapt for the 2025 season. In Moto3™, Jose Antonio Rueda earned his second consecutive podium, finishing 3rd and maintaining his lead in the World Championship.
The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Red Bull KTM Tech3 teams made further progress on the development of the 2025 KTM RC16 during a valuable Grand Prix race. All four riders explored the limits of the 4.8km Termas circuit in northern Argentina, marking the first race there in two years.
Brad Binder was the most competitive rider in the group, quickly moving into the top six from 11th on the grid in a typically determined performance. However, he couldn’t keep up with the top five and had to manage tire wear and grip in the final stages of the race. His 7th-place finish was an improvement over his points result in Thailand. Pedro Acosta initially raced alongside his teammate but then dropped a few spots to manage tire temperature, before recovering in the closing laps. Despite struggling with arm-pump, he secured 9th place, marking his first Sunday Grand Prix points of the season.
Maverick Viñales made significant progress from the back of the field, moving close to the top ten and finishing 13th to secure three championship points. Enea Bastianini showed potential during the longer Grand Prix but crashed after being forced wide on the second lap. The Italian managed to remount and finished 18th. The MotoGP series now heads to the Americas, with round three taking place at COTA in Austin, Texas, in two weeks.
Brad Binder, 7th in the race and 8th in the championship standings, said: “I’m happy because I gave it my all from the first lap. I’m also glad to score points after what happened yesterday. I had a solid start and tried to stay with the front riders. I knew it would be tough once the tires dropped, but I did my best and avoided mistakes. Unfortunately, 7th was as good as it would get today. We’re strong in braking and entry, but we need more grip on the rear tire’s edge. Once we fix that, things will get easier for us.”
Pedro Acosta, 9th in the race and 10th in the standings, commented: “The bike was working better, but we need to figure out why it’s changing between sessions. My race was mostly a challenge with front-end pressure, but once I managed that, I could pass other riders. I was catching Brad at the end, but then I had some arm-pump, making it hard to change direction in some corners. I’ve only had arm-pump once before, in my first MotoGP race. Normally, I don’t have these issues, so I don’t think it’s anything major.”
Maverick Viñales, 13th in the race and 17th in the championship standings, said: “It’s been an important weekend. We didn’t start as planned, but we gained a lot of information that helped us improve. I felt much better on the bike during the race, and this gives us motivation for the next round. I think we’ve found a direction, and I felt a real improvement.”
Enea Bastianini, 18th in the race and 13th in the standings, reflected: “My race ended very early! I was happy up until that point because I made a good start and was battling for 13th by the second lap. But I was pushed out and crashed. I got back on track to finish the race and see how it felt. I didn’t have any wings on the left side, but my pace was still good. It was just unlucky.”
Aki Ajo, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager, stated: “After a tough Saturday, we should be happy with the progress made for the Grand Prix race. Being in the top ten with both riders is positive, but of course, it’s not where we want to be. After the tough conditions in Thailand, we’ve gathered more important data here. It’s time to analyze and see what we can do for the next races.”
Results MotoGP Grand Prix of Argentina:
- Marc Marquez (ESP) Ducati – 41:11.100
- Alex Marquez (ESP) Ducati – +1.362
- Franco Morbidelli (ITA) Ducati – +4.695
- Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing – +14.294
- Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing – +15.646
- Maverick Viñales (ESP) Red Bull KTM Tech3 – +22.319
- Enea Bastianini (ITA) Red Bull KTM Tech3 – +40.179
World Championship Standings MotoGP:
- Marc Marquez (ESP) Ducati, 74 points
- Alex Marquez (ESP) Ducati, 58
- Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) Ducati, 43
- Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 19
- Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 12
- Enea Bastianini (ITA) Red Bull KTM Tech3, 7
- Maverick Viñales (ESP) Red Bull KTM Tech3, 38
- The Moto3 race remained tightly packed until the final five laps, with the podium battle narrowing down to seven riders, including Rueda and Carpe. In the final push, Rueda led into the second-to-last corner but finished in 3rd after a tight battle, marking his sixth career podium. The #99 rider now leads the standings by 5 points. Carpe crashed at the exit of Turn 1, while Esteban received a Long Lap penalty for going off-track, finishing 16th. Peronne also pushed hard but fell on the last lap. Red Bull KTM Ajo leads the team standings, with KTM at the top of the Constructors’ table.
Jose Antonio Rueda commented: “An incredible race with lots of overtakes. I expected this! I’m happy to be back on the podium and to score more points for the championship. We need to keep working like this.”
Deniz Öncü and Collin Veijer were involved in the early action in Moto2, which followed the Moto3 race on Sunday in Argentina. Öncü, starting from the second half of the grid, aimed for quicker lap times and a strong finish, while Veijer focused on improving his feel and experience in the Moto2 field. At the checkered flag, Öncü secured points for the second consecutive Grand Prix, finishing 14th, while Veijer ended the race in 24th.
Results Moto3 Grand Prix of Argentina:
- Angel Piqueras (ESP), KTM – 32:31.938
- Adrian Fernandez (ESP), Honda – +0.036
- Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP), Red Bull KTM Ajo – +0.125
- Dennis Foggia (ITA), CFMOTO Aspar Team – +4.990
- Joel Esteban (ESP), Red Bull KTM Tech3 – +7.822
- Jakub Rosenthaler (AUT), CFMOTO Aspar Team – +21.940
DNF. Alvaro Carpe (ESP), Red Bull KTM Ajo
DNF. Valentin Perrone (ARG), Red Bull KTM Tech3
World Championship Standings Moto3:
- Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP), Red Bull KTM Ajo – 41 points
- Adrian Fernandez (ESP), Honda – 36 points
- Angel Piqueras (ESP), KTM – 29 points
- Alvaro Carpe (ESP), Red Bull KTM Ajo – 20 points
- Dennis Foggia (ITA), CFMOTO Aspar Team – 15 points
- Joel Esteban (ESP), Red Bull KTM Tech3 – 7 points
NC. Valentin Perrone (ARG), Red Bull KTM Tech3 – 0 points
NC. Jakub Rosenthaler (AUT), CFMOTO Aspar Team – 0 points
Results Moto2 Grand Prix of Argentina:
- Jake Dixon (GBR) – 35:48.793
- Manuel Gonzalez (ESP) – +3.525
- Celestino Vietti (ITA) – +10.098
- Daniel Holgado (ESP), CFMOTO Aspar Team – +19.035
- Deniz Öncü (TUR), Red Bull KTM Ajo – +23.216
- David Alonso (COL), CFMOTO Aspar Team – +29.518
- Collin Veijer (NED), Red Bull KTM Ajo – +50.421
World Championship Standings Moto2:
- Manuel Gonzalez (ESP) – 45 points
- Jake Dixon (GBR) – 34 points
- Aron Canet (ESP) – 33 points
- Daniel Holgado (ESP), CFMOTO Aspar Team – 15 points
- Deniz Öncü (TUR), Red Bull KTM Ajo – 6 points
NC. Collin Veijer (NED), Red Bull KTM Ajo – 0 points
NC. David Alonso (COL), CFMOTO Aspar Team – 0 points
