Marc Marquez continued his dominant start to the 2025 MotoGP season by setting the fastest time in Friday’s Argentina MotoGP FP2 session at Termas de Rio Hondo circuit.
The afternoon session unfolded under dry conditions, enabling riders to push their limits further and set competitive lap times that determined direct access to Qualifying 2 (Q2). Ducati’s dominance was evident throughout both sessions, with their riders consistently occupying top positions on the leaderboard.
Riding for Ducati Lenovo, Marc Marquez rounded off a flawless day at Termas de Rio Hondo after topping both Argentina MotoGP FP2 and FP1 sessions while breaking the all-time lap record with a blistering time of 1:37.295.
Marquez’s performance underscored his intent to maintain his 2025 MotoGP championship lead after a victorious season opener in Thailand. The Argentine GP marked his return to the venue since his commanding win in 2019, and he wasted no time in stamping his authority on the track.
Marquez’s closest competitor in FP2 was his Ducati stablemate Fabio Di Giannantonio(VR46 Racing) who secured second place late in the session.
Di Giannantonio’s strong showing highlighted Ducati’s dominance, as Alex Marquez – Marc’s younger brother and Gresini Ducati rider – completed an all-Ducati top-three sweep. Alex delivered consistent pace throughout the day, building on his impressive performances in Thailand.
Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi claimed fourth place with a remarkable lap time of 1:37.510, briefly breaking the all-time record before Marquez set his benchmark. Bezzecchi’s performance reaffirmed Aprilia’s competitiveness at Termas de Rio Hondo, a track where they have previously enjoyed success.
KTM’s Brad Binder rounded out the top five finishers in Argentina MotoGP FP2, showcasing solid pace and resilience as he worked to close the gap to Ducati riders. Yamaha’s Alex Rins finished in sixth after benefiting from a tow strategy behind Ducati riders to improve his lap times.
Johann Zarco emerged as Honda’s leading rider by finishing seventh for LCR, sandwiched between Yamaha teammates Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins.
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Quartararo attempted a similar tow strategy behind Francesco Bagnaia but his attempt fell apart when Bagnaia crashed at Turn 2 during the session. Despite the setback, the 2021 MotoGP world champion managed to secure eighth place, while Bagnaia scraped into Q2 by finishing tenth.
Meanwhile, Red Bull KTM factory’s Pedro Acosta suffered a late crash during outlaps but managed to drag his bike to round out Argentina MotoGP FP2 Q2 finishers alongside teammate Binder.
Rookie Ai Ogura(Trackhouse Aprilia) narrowly missed out on Q2 access but finished ahead of VR46 Ducati’s Franco Morbidelli while Pramac Yamaha’s Jack Miller placed 14th, flanked by factory Honda riders Joan Mir and Luca Marini.
Maverick Viñales continued his adaptation to KTM machinery with a 16th-place finish, trailing Marquez’s time attack by a full second. Rookie Fermin Aldeguer impressed with a 17th-place finish for Gresini Ducati, outperforming Miguel Oliveira by over three-tenths of a second.
Honda LCR’s Somkiat Chantra improved upon his FP1 performance to secure 19th place, ahead of Raul Fernandez and Enea Bastianini.
Aprilia test rider Lorenzo Savadori concluded the Argentina MotoGP FP2 session at the bottom of the timesheets while stepping in for Jorge Martin, who remains sidelined due to injury. Savadori’s presence highlighted Aprilia’s struggles as they continue to compete without their star rider.
