MotoGP Argentina: Marco Bezzecchi dominates in the wet as Francesco Bagnaia makes a crucial mistake
Fears for many were realised immediately heading through turn one as Bezzecchi, who was quickest in terms of race pace, led des😼pite Franco Morbidelli attempting to hang it around the outside.
The Yamaha rider tried to carry speed around the sweeping turn one, however, Alex Marquez and Fr⛎ancesco Bagnaia got back ahead of the Ital🐬ian.
Drama unfolded just a few corners later as Binder crashed at turn five following very small contඣact 💞with Maverick Vinales.
Still on lap one, Fabio Quartararo’s disastrous weekend got worse as contact with Takaaki Nakagami resulted in the 2021 world champion being shoved🌞 off-track and dropping down to P16.
Similar conditions to that of his maiden MotoGP pole in Mugello last season, Fabio Di Giannantonio was a big mover during the early stages as he sat in fꦫifth at the start of lap five.
Following a review from the stewards, no further action was taken regarding the 🍌🌳incident between Vinales and Binder.
Still on the same lap, MotoG🎶P stewards also decided that no further action was needed between Nakagami and Quartararo.
Not some🐎thing we expected to see, at least this early in the season, was MotoGP rookie Augusto Fernandez complete successful overtakes on Quartararo and Aleix Espargaro in back-to-back corners [lap eight].
At the front, Marquez and Bagnaia had no answer for Bezzecchi who con🌟tinued to turn the screw. A lead that was six tenths during the opening few laps was over 2.5s come the en🉐d of lap nine.
His best performance in Honda colours, LCR rider Alex Rins finally got through on Di Giannantonio for fifth on lap 10, as the Ducati rider then came under intense pressure from Johann Zarco.ꦡ
After quickly getting through on Di Giannantonio, which resulted in th🦹e Gresini Ducati rider suffering a bizarre drop as Martin and Jack Miller ꦗcame through just as fast, Zarco instead made further progress as he got into fifth ahead of Rins.
Starting to show more pace than Marquez, Bagnaia tri♏ed his first move for second place at turn eight, however, Marquez responded immediately.
But Bagnaia was not to be stopped as he out-braked Maꦚrquez at the penultimate corner, although he did not pull clear on the next lap around.
Looking super smooth on lap 17, Bagnaia made 𒁃a rare mistake as he crashed at turn 13. Able to get back aboard his factory Ducati, Bagnaia re-joined in 16th and well out of content🍸ion.
With his title rival from last season out of the points, Quartararo was finding mor💖e and more pace as his recovery continued with taking seventh place away from 🌼Rins.
Also on a charge and setting times quicker than any other rider by a full second, was Zarco as he closedꦡ in on Morbidelli and Marquez for the podium with four laps remaining.
Catching 𝄹Marquez for second, Morbidelli was still facing more pressure from Zarco whic🐭h resulted in a small mistake with 2.5 laps remaining.
Zarco then made the most of his brilli⛄ant pace by getting through on Marquez at turn four on the final lap, and although he was gaining large amounts of time on the race leader, Bezzecchi controlled his way through to the finish for a maiden MotoGP win.
