Buenos Aires (Argentina), March 15 : Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) has now taken back-to-back poles for the first time since 2019, with another stunning performance at the Gran Premio YPF Energia de Argentina. His 1:36.917 is the first ever 1:36 of the venue, a new lap record, and puts him a quarter of a second clear at the top.

Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), who was close on Friday too, is next on the chase in second, with Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) making some magic in third for Honda's first front row since 2023 - just 0.042 off the #73 ahead.

A hot lap early on bagged Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) a slot at the top with Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) in hot pursuit in P2 provisionally, but the final four minutes were going to be dramatic as everyone hit the track for their shot at going into Q2.

It was all over at Turn 2 for Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda LCR), who fell and would therefore not improve, whilst Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) replicated his fellow rookie a lap later, likewise missing out on a Q2 passage. On the first lap of his second run, Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) came to the fore and went P2, demoting rival Miller to P3 and joining Morbidelli in the pole shootout.

Marc on fire

The business end of qualifying: Q1 ignites, and straight away, the lap record was obliterated by none other than Marc Marquez, who was fractionally outside the first-ever 1'36s motorcycle lap of the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit. A huge performance by Johann Zarco (LCR Honda CASTROL) put him provisionally in the front row, which would be a first for Honda since 2023 at Mugello.

With the final five minutes beckoning, it was full throttle to try and better their lap time. Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) was following his brother, whilst Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) salvaged P4.

However, it was his teammate Marquez who was lighting up the time screens; on his penultimate flying lap, he set the first and only 1'36 lap of the Termas de Rio Hondo track. A 1'36.917 sees him go from pole, his first back-to-back poles since 2019's Austrian and British Grands Prix. Brother Alex secured P2, and Zarco clung on to a first Honda front row and his first since 2023's season-closing Grand Prix in Valencia.

Dark horses in top places

It was fourth place for Pecco who seeks to make a traditional fast start off the line but he'll have 'El Tiburon' Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) for company too, with the #37 putting himself right in amongst the sharp end of the grid.

Completing the second row, Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), less than a tenth of a second off the front row.

Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) secured his best qualifying of the season so far in P7, ahead of Q1 ascendant Morbidelli. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) goes from P9, one place ahead of Mir, with the 2020 World Champion making it two Hondas in the top ten.

Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) round out the Q2 field, with Rins taking his best grid slot since Sepang last year.

/IANS