With this victory on a track wet by the spit, Bezzecchi also offers the young VR46 team, created by the legend Valentino Rossi, its first triumph in the premier class.

"Normally I'm not very good when it rains (...) But there, the sensations were incredible, "responded the 24-year-old pilot.

Until then leader in the general, Francesco Bagnaia, second of the GP with eight laps to go, started at fault while a place on the podium seemed promised to him.

Italian rider Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) crashes during the MotoGP Argentine Grand Prix at the Termas circuit in Rio Hondo on April 2, 2023. © JUAN MABROMATA / AFP

If he was able to leave... In last position, the reigning Italian world champion finished 16th in the race and therefore out of the points. In the championship, he is now nine points behind new leader Bezzecchi, followed by Zarco on 15 points, second in the GP.

Starting from pole position, the Spaniard Alex Marquez (Ducati-Gresini) finished 3rd. Marc's younger brother, a six-time MotoGP world champion, did not resist the onslaught of Marco Bezzecchi, who dominated the GP from start to finish at the first corner.

Tenth on the grid, Frenchman Fabio Quartararo finished in a good 7th place after a difficult weekend, during which the reigning runner-up did not consistently manage to keep pace with the competition with his Yamaha.

At the beginning of the race, the 23-year-old from Nice had quite a scare by hooking the Japanese Takaaki Nakagami (Honda-LCR), an incident not serious, but which cost him up to six positions.

The day before, South African Brad Binder (KTM) had won the sprint after an impressive climb from 15th place on the grid. He finished 17th and last on Sunday after falling on lap 1.

- Mir absent, Honda without representative –

Earlier in the day, Spaniard Joan Mir withdrew from the race after suffering head and neck trauma caused by a violent fall during the sprint the day before.

This forfeit is a blow for Honda who had already lost Marc Marquez, victim of a crash during the GP of Portugal last Sunday. Suffering from a fractured hand, the Spaniard was absent in Argentina, as was the Portuguese Miguel Oliveira (Aprilia-RNF), caught in this fall and still convalescent.

French rider Johann Zarco (Ducati-Pramac), left, 2nd in the Argentine MotoGP Grand Prix, with Italian rider Marco Bezzecchi (Ducati VR46), center, winner, and Spaniard Alex Marquez (Ducati-Gresini), right, 3rd, on the podium at the Termas circuit in Rio Hondo on April 2, 2023. © JUAN MABROMATA / AFP

The Japanese manufacturer's factory team therefore had no representatives on the grid on Sunday.

Also absent from the Termas de Rio Hondo track, Italian Enea Bastianini (Ducati) suffered a fractured shoulder blade after his crash during the sprint in Portugal.

Finally, Pol Espargaro (GasGas-Tech3), the first victim of the Portimao track last Friday, is probably the one whose convalescence will be the longest after his accident on the Portimao circuit. The Spaniard suffered a pulmonary contusion and fractures of the jaw and vertebra.

Only 17 riders out of 22 entered this season in the premier class took the start of the GP on Sunday, the smallest grid that MotoGP has seen since 2011.

In Moto2, Italian Tony Arbolino won the GP reduced to 14 laps due to rain and regained the reins of the championship from Spaniard Pedro Acosta, only 12th in the race.

In Moto3, Japan's Tatsuki Suzuki won after a crash-ridden event, including that of Spaniard David Almansa, fighting for 2nd place after starting 25th on the grid for his second GP in the category. Spaniard Daniel Holgado, 4th on Sunday, retains the lead of the championship.

© 2023 AFP