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MotoGP Argentina GP: Polesitter Espargaro heads Quartararo in warm-up

Argentina Grand Prix poleman Aleix Espargaro led reigning world champion Fabio Quartararo in the MotoGP warm-up session ahead of today’s 25-lap race.

Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia Racing Team

Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia Racing Team

Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Due to the freight delays causing Friday’s action to be cancelled, MotoGP elected to extend Sunday’s morning warm-up session to 40 minutes to allow the riders to recoup some lost track time.

In the early stages of warm-up, Pramac’s Johann Zarco led the way with a 1m39.452, though was soon deposed by poleman Aleix Espargaro on the Aprilia.

Ahead of his 200th MotoGP start, Espargaro stormed to an historic first pole for Aprilia in the modern era on Saturday and continued to show strong pace in the warm-up.

Espargaro would eventually get his pace down to a 1m38.648s with just under 20 minutes left on the clock.

This time would go unchallenged through to the chequered flag, with Quartararo – who will start the race from sixth – 0.244 seconds adrift in second.

Alex Rins was third on the Suzuki ahead of Jorge Martin on the Pramac Ducati, who will launch from second on the grid later today having been denied pole at the death on Saturday.

Maverick Vinales continues to show strong form on the sister factory Aprilia in fifth, which is where he qualified, while Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia was sixth.

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

After a difficult Saturday, Bagnaia will start from 13th later today having been promoted a spot by a three-place grid penalty for team-mate Jack Miller.

KTM’s Miguel Oliveira was seventh in warm-up but will have work to do from 16th on the grid later today.

Team-mate Brad Binder shadowed him on Sunday morning in eighth, 0.398s off the pace, while LCR’s Takaaki Nakagami was the only Honda inside the top 10 at the end of warm-up in ninth.

Johann Zarco on the sister Pramac Ducati completed the top 10 ahead of Suzuki’s Joan Mir, while Miller was 17th.

After a storming day for Valentino Rossi’s squad on Saturday having been one of the team’s most affected by the freight delays, its Sunday got off to a terrible start.

Marco Bezzecchi crashed through the fast Turn 6 left-hander early in the session, before team-mate Luca Marini – who is due to start the race third – fell from his VR46 Ducati at Turn 2 in the final 16 minutes.

The 2022 MotoGP Argentina GP will get underway at 3pm local time (7pm BST).

MotoGP Argentina Grand Prix warm-up classification

Cla Rider Bike Time Gap
1 Spain Aleix Espargaro Aprilia 1'38.648  
2 France Fabio Quartararo Yamaha 1'38.892 0.244
3 Spain Alex Rins Suzuki 1'38.912 0.264
4 Spain Jorge Martin Ducati 1'38.933 0.285
5 Spain Maverick Viñales Aprilia 1'38.939 0.291
6 Italy Francesco Bagnaia Ducati 1'38.954 0.306
7 Portugal Miguel Oliveira KTM 1'39.042 0.394
8 South Africa Brad Binder KTM 1'39.046 0.398
9 Japan Takaaki Nakagami Honda 1'39.073 0.425
10 France Johann Zarco Ducati 1'39.085 0.437
11 Spain Joan Mir Suzuki 1'39.172 0.524
12 Italy Enea Bastianini Ducati 1'39.184 0.536
13 Spain Pol Espargaro Honda 1'39.237 0.589
14 Italy Franco Morbidelli Yamaha 1'39.240 0.592
15 South Africa Darryn Binder Yamaha 1'39.335 0.687
16 Italy Marco Bezzecchi Ducati 1'39.437 0.789
17 Australia Jack Miller Ducati 1'39.518 0.870
18 Spain Alex Marquez Honda 1'39.524 0.876
19 Spain Raúl Fernández KTM 1'39.661 1.013
20 Australia Remy Gardner KTM 1'39.706 1.058
21 Italy Andrea Dovizioso Yamaha 1'39.746 1.098
22 Italy Fabio Di Giannantonio Ducati 1'39.779 1.131
23 Italy Luca Marini Ducati 1'39.792 1.144
24 Germany Stefan Bradl Honda 1'39.802 1.154

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