MotoGP Argentina, Termas - Full Qualifying Results

* Rookie

Fastest Friday time:
Aleix Espargaro SPA Aprilia 1m 38.518s

Official Termas de Rio Hondo MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Marc Marquez SPA Honda 1m 37.683s (2014)
Fastest race lap:
Valentino Rossi ITA Yamaha 1m 39.019s (2015)

Alex Marquez claims a tense debut MotoGP pole position at a wet Termas de Rio Hondo in Argentina and will be joined on the front row by fellow slick tyre heroes Marco Bezzecchi and Francesco Bagnaia for both the Saturday Sprint and Sunday race.

The closing minutes saw a split contest between those staying on wets and a handful of riders switching to slicks, including reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia, VR46 comrade Marco Bezzecchi and new Gresini Ducati rider Alex Marquez.

Franco Morbidelli and the wets were on pole as the chequered flag waved, but the slick trio snatched the front row away on their final lap!

Alex Marquez and Fabio Quartararo had graduated to Qualifying 2 by leading Qualifying 1, but the Yamaha rider remained on wets and could only manage tenth.

Defending event winner and Friday leader Aleix Espargaro suffered in the wet and will line up in ninth.

The 12-lap Sprint race starts at 15:00 local time.

ALEX MARQUEZ: "I’m super happy... I had a problem with the bike with the fire [after the Qualifying 1 fall], so it wasn’t easy when you’re in Q2 and have these conditions and just one bike! I did my best with the wet tyres, later on I went in and I said there’s no time to change the tyres! But we changed the tyres, we put the slicks in with the wet set up and it was working so I’m really happy for that. I’m looking forward to the Sprint and the race!"

MARCO BEZZECCHI: "Honestly the first lap was not very fun because the first part of the track was very wet, but I saw a small possibility and I said ‘ok, I'll try’. Unfortunately I had an issue in the pitlane with Taka and we lost some time to change the bike, so I took the chequered flag very early but anyway with these conditions to be so fast it’s always nice, so I’m very happy."

FRANCESCO BAGNAIA: "I was a bit scared to change to the slick tyres considering the amount of wet patches on the track, it was a bit risky. On the last lap I took a lot of risk on entry to corner 2 but in any case I’m very happy. The objective was to start on the front row, we did it so I’m happy. Let's continue focusing on the race and if conditions are like this it could be very tricky!"

* Rookie

Fastest Friday time:
Aleix Espargaro SPA Aprilia 1m 38.518s

Official Termas de Rio Hondo MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Marc Marquez SPA Honda 1m 37.683s (2014)
Fastest race lap:
Valentino Rossi ITA Yamaha 1m 39.019s (2015)

Alex Marquez leads a wet Qualifying 1 at the 2023 MotoGP of Argentina and now progresses, along with Fabio Quartararo, to the Qualifying 2 pole position shootout.

Former world champion Quartararo, just 14th on Friday due to corner speed woes, ran straight on at the end of the back straight on his out lap before taking his Yamaha to the top by the middle stage of the 15mins. 

Alex Marquez then moved ahead of the Frenchman in the closing minutes and was on course to improve his time when he fell on his final lap.

The pair will now have the advantage of wet tyre knowledge for Q2...

• Argentina Moto2: Latest Results
• Argentina Moto3: Latest Results

Four riders are missing Argentina due to injuries at last weekend’s Portimao season-opener: Pol Espargaro, Enea Bastianini, Miguel Oliveira and Marc Marquez.

Bastianini, Oliveira and Marquez hope to return for round three in COTA but Espargaro’s injuries are set to see him sidelined for at least several more events. There are no replacement riders this weekend but Espargaro will be replaced by KTM test rider Jonas Folger next time out.

With Marquez missing, Alex Rins has been given one of the newer Honda chassis as used by the #93 for this weekend - but now also hopes to try one of the other versions used by Joan Mir.

Aleix Espargaro gave Aprilia its first and so far only MotoGP victory in last year’s Termas de Rio Hondo race ahead of Jorge Martin, who was also caught up in the Marquez-Oliveira clash and is riding with a broken toe this weekend.

Unlike last weekend's Portimao season-opener, which was preceded by a winter test, there has been no MotoGP action at Argentina since last year's grand prix.