Marc Marquez claimed Honda’s first victory of the 2016 MotoGP season after bouncing back from a bad start to triumph in Argentina.
The Spaniard dropped to fourth, with Jorge Lorenzo taking over the lead, but quickly moved his way back up to first place. Marquez then enjoyed an intense battle with Valentino Rossi, swapping positions several times.
Lorenzo’s race ended early on with a crash at the first corner. The Marquez and Rossi battle continued through the pit stops, which featured a mandatory bike change brought in due to concerns over the safety of the rear Michelin tyres.
This also caused the race to be shortened by five laps. A strong out-lap saw Marquez increase his lead over Rossi and he soon escaped up the road, taking a clear victory in Argentina.
Behind, there was plenty of drama. Rossi fell into the clutches of Maverick Vinales and Andrea Iannone. The former crashed out while attempting to make a move, while Iannone eventually passed Rossi and was followed through by Ducati team-mate Andrea Dovizioso.
It looked like Ducati would complete the podium but the two riders collided on the last lap at the final corner, which opened the door for Rossi to move back up to second and claim the runner-up spot.
Dani Pedrosa was promoted to third on the second Honda bike, ahead of Eugene Laverty, Hector Barbera and Pol Espargaró, who fell to sixth after a late off-track excursion. Stefan Bradl, Bradley Smith, Tito Rabat and Álvaro Bautista completed the top 10.
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