Bezzecchi rides through the wet as Bagnaia slips up

Marco Bezzecchi and Valentino Rossi’s Ducati MotoGP team are winners after prevailing in a wet and wild Argentina Grand Prix.

Riding the 2022 spec Ducati for the VR46 team, Bezzecchi was a dominant force, leading all 25 laps at a wet Rio Hondo circuit.

Reigning champion and Portugal victor Francesco Bagnaia sat a comfortable second before siding off his factory Ducati at the penultimate corner on Lap 17.

Although Bagnaia rejoined the field to finish 16th, he lost the championship lead to Bezzecchi, who enjoys a nine-point lead over the #1.

Joining the #72 on the podium were Johann Zarco and poleman Alex Marquez in an all Ducati affair.

Australia’s Jack Miller put in a fine ride, climbing up from 16th to sixth, while his KTM teammate Brad Binder could not back up his Sprint victory, crashing on the opening lap after contact with Maverick Vinales.

The first-lap drama continued two corners later where Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo was forced off the track from Takaaki Nakagami to slip from 10th to 16th.

Up front, Bezzecchi was already seven tenths up on Marquez and Bagnaia at the end of the first lap as he rode into the distance.

Australia’s Jack Miller made many strong moves in Argentina. Photo by Gold and Goose / LAT Images

By Lap 15 it was well over five seconds as Marquez and Bagnaia locked horns for second.

The pair diced for position until the #1 Ducati made a decisive move at Turn 13 where he would fall just two laps later.

Despite the release of pressure Marquez soon had the Pramac Ducati of Zarco on his tail despite the latter being more than six seconds away from the podium places earlier in the race.

Zarco was able to make his move on Marquez to take second at Turn 5 in a battle that went to the last lap.

However, no one could challenge Bezzecchi, who cruised to a special maiden win with Zrco, Marquez, Franco Morbidelli, Jorge Martin, Miller, Quartararo, Luca Marini, Alex Rins and Fabio Di Giannantonio the top 10.

Notable absentees were both Repsol Honda riders with Marc Marquez ruled out due to injuries sustained in Portugal, while teammate Joan Mir experienced “cranial and cervical trauma” following a crash in the Argentina Sprint.

The next race of the 2023 MotoGP season is the Americas GP in Texas on April 16.

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