The 2025 MotoGP season is barely underway, yet the spotlight is already burning bright on reigning champion Pecco Bagnaia and his factory Ducati teammate, Marc Marquez. Just one round into the season, every twist of the throttle, every corner entry, and every misstep is being dissected with forensic precision. The Argentina Grand Prix at Termas de Rio Hondo has set the stage for what promises to be a gripping intra-team rivalry, with Marquez asserting early dominance and Bagnaia battling to keep pace.
Friday’s opening practice sessions were a microcosm of this unfolding drama. Marquez, the eight-time world champion, wasted no time stamping his authority, topping the timesheets with a blistering 1m37.295s—a new all-time lap record at the circuit. Meanwhile, Bagnaia struggled, finishing a distant 16th in FP1, 1.351s off Marquez’s pace, before a late crash in Practice left his Q2 qualification hanging by a thread. He ultimately scraped through by a razor-thin 0.021s margin, but the contrast between the two Ducati riders couldn’t have been starker.
Conditions at Termas de Rio Hondo were predictably tricky on Friday morning, with low grip exacerbated by damp patches from overnight rain. These are the kind of chaotic circumstances where Marquez thrives, and he duly delivered, edging out LCR Honda’s Johann Zarco to lead FP1. Bagnaia, however, seemed rattled, his early struggles under braking a lingering echo of his woes at the previous round in Thailand. By the afternoon, he’d clawed back some ground, posting a 1m37.834s to sit inside the top six—only to undo his progress with a crash at Turn 2 during a critical time attack. The incident thrust him back into the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
For Marquez, the day was a masterclass in composure and speed. He wasn’t the first to dip below his own 2014 lap record of 1m37.683s—that honor went to Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi with a 1m37.510s—but Marquez’s response was emphatic. His 1m37.295s wasn’t just a lap time; it was a statement. Across manufacturers, Ducati led the way, with Aprilia, KTM, Yamaha, and Honda trailing in his wake (see table below). Marquez’s adaptability shone through, his GP25 Ducati feeling “predictable” despite his limited data at the track—a far cry from Bagnaia’s ongoing setup struggles.
| **2025 Argentina MotoGP Practice – Outright Best Lap per Manufacturer** | | | |
|————————————————|——————-|————|——-|
| **Manufacturer** | **Rider** | **Time** | **Gap** |
|——————-|——————-|————|———|
| Ducati | Marc Marquez | 1m37.295s | – |
| Aprilia | Marco Bezzecchi | 1m37.510s | 0.215s |
| KTM | Brad Binder | 1m37.546s | 0.251s |
| Yamaha | Alex Rins | 1m37.591s | 0.296s |
| Honda | Johann Zarco | 1m37.685s | 0.390s |
Bagnaia’s frustration has been palpable since Thailand, where he was outshone not just by Marc Marquez but also by Gresini Ducati’s Alex Marquez. “I’m not here to finish third,” he snapped in footage released by MotoGP, a rare glimpse of the pressure weighing on the Italian. Arriving in Argentina, he hinted at external factors—“something beyond our control”—but offered no specifics. Friday’s practice saw flickers of progress; adjustments to his bike’s setup improved his braking feel, and he declared himself “ready to fight.” Yet, his crash and subsequent 10th-place finish suggest he’s still searching for answers. Had he avoided the spill, Bagnaia believes he could’ve shaved three-tenths off his time—enough for a top-five berth, but still shy of Marquez’s orbit.
Marquez, by contrast, is in his element. After Thailand, he described his Ducati as the best bike he’s ridden since his ill-fated 2020 Spanish GP crash, which derailed his Honda tenure. In Argentina, despite needing time to tweak his electronics for Termas de Rio Hondo’s unique demands, he exuded confidence. His 2019 win here—by nearly 10 seconds—looms large, and his Friday pace suggests a repeat isn’t out of the question. “Alex [Marquez] is super strong here; he will be there,” Marquez noted, also tipping Fabio Di Giannantonio, Bagnaia, and Bezzecchi as threats. Bezzecchi, the 2023 Argentina winner, led the soft tire averages at 1m38.169s, but Marquez’s used-tire consistency hints at untapped potential.
| **2025 Argentina MotoGP Friday Practice – Soft Tyre Averages** | | | |
|——————————————————-|——————-|————|—————–|
| **Rider** | **Bike** | **Pace** | **Sample Size** |
|———————–|———-|————|—————–|
| Marco Bezzecchi | Aprilia | 1m38.169s | Five laps |
| Alex Marquez | Ducati | 1m38.521s | Four laps |
| Marc Marquez | Ducati | 1m38.525s | Four laps |
| Fabio Di Giannantonio| Ducati | 1m38.717s | Six laps |
| Pecco Bagnaia | Ducati | 1m38.816s | Four laps |
On medium tires, Marquez’s dominance was even clearer, his 1m38.018s average over four laps leaving Alex Marquez and Bagnaia trailing by four and five-tenths, respectively. Bagnaia’s pace—0.3s off Marquez on softs, 0.5s on mediums—underscores the gap he must bridge. Meanwhile, riders like Zarco (1m38.665s on a worn medium) and Bezzecchi keep the field competitive, but Marquez remains the benchmark.
As the weekend unfolds, the track’s evolution will shape the narrative. For now, Marquez holds the upper hand, his blend of speed and serenity a stark contrast to Bagnaia’s scrappy resilience. One round in, and the 2025 season already feels like a Marquez masterclass—with Bagnaia fighting to prove he’s more than a supporting act.
