For the first time since 2019, MotoGP™ returns to Termas for the Michelin Grand Prix of Argentina. At a destination which provides no shortage of excitement, it’s set to be another cracker for Round 3 of the 2022 MotoGP™ World Championship. With the return of racing, comes the return of MotoGP™ Fantasy and we take a look at the lay of the land ahead of the weekend’s action.
Who made the Indonesian Grand Prix Dream Team?
Taking a quick look back at MotoGP™’s most recent outing, Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was head and shoulders above the rest as he mastered the Mandalika rain to take a fourth career premier class victory. Starting seventh on the grid, a lightning bolt start saw him immediately move into the podium places before going on to take the win. The Portuguese star collected a grand total of 41 points for his efforts over the weekend.
Joining the factory KTM man as an Indonesian GP Gold Rider is Fabio Quartararo, with the World Champion looking back to his old self on Lombok. The Monster Energy Yamaha rider backed up a front row start with a P2 finish, and recorded the race’s fastest lap for good measure. That performance means the Frenchman took home a tidy 35 points for gamers who had him in their teams.
It turned out be quite the Sunday salvage job for Joan Mir, with the Suzuki rider enduring a difficult weekend until the heavens opened. Launching from P17, the 2020 World Champion put in an incredible opening lap to climb ten places before eventually finishing sixth. Picking up plenty of advanced grid position points, the Mallorcan would have taken home 16 points as a Silver Rider for MotoGP™ Fantasy players.
Mir’s race usually would have been enough to easily earn him ride of the day at most other Grands Prix, but the efforts of Darryn Binder (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP™ Team) ensured there was stiff competition. The rookie was at the heart of a seven-way scrap for P8 after starting P22, and eventually went on to claim a first-ever top 10 finish. It was certainly an impressive way to pick up his maiden MotoGP™ Championship points, while he collected 15 points as a Silver Rider.
Which constructor should I have chosen?
Yamaha’s 32.5 points meant they were the pick of the bunch in Indonesia. The Iwata factory were joined in the top three constructors by KTM, 28 points, and Suzuki, 26 points.
The Grand Prix of Indonesia's Dream Team had a total value of 15.5M and collected 180.5 points.
Who should I look out for this weekend?
Termas de Rio Hondo has typically been a track at which Marc Marquez has dominated. In six visits to Argentina, the Repsol Honda rider has taken the win on three occasions, but the eight-time World Champion has been ruled out of this weekend’s action due to injury.
From the rest of the current crop of MotoGP™ riders, only Aprilia’s Maverick Viñales, then with Yamaha in 2017, has experienced MotoGP™ top step joy in Argentina. Given Top Gun’s struggles so far in 2022, it is unlikely we’ll be seeing a repeat of that this weekend. Elsewhere, only three others, Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) and Andrea Dovizioso (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP™ Team) know what it’s like to stand on the podium Termas as a MotoGP™ rider. Indeed, for the first Grand Prix of Argentina in three years, it’s a wide-open field with plenty of potential options.
Starting with Honda, there may be no Marc Marquez, but Pol Espargaro has shown some serious potential with the RC213V this season. The Japanese manufacturer tend to generally go well in Termas, taking four wins from six, and if Espargaro can find some early speed over the weekend, he’ll be a real contender and a bargain at 2.7M.
Neither of the Suzukis can be discounted either, but if we were to plump for one this weekend, it would be 2018 podium finisher Alex Rins. While Joan Mir does have Moto3™ race winning experience, we feel that his teammate represents better value 2.8M. The number 42 has recorded P7 and P5 finishes so far in 2022, and has traditionally gone well in Argentina. Barring one DNF in his rookie MotoGP™ year, Rins has never finished outside the top five in six visits.
Over at Ducati, it’s been a difficult transitional period as factory riders get to grips with the demands of the GP22. Johann Zarco however showed there is promise there, taking its first podium in Indonesia. The Pramac rider is a two-time Moto2™ winner in Argentina, and looks well placed to compete again this weekend. At 3.7M, the Frenchman’s price is rising fast, but may prove worth a gamble. A cheaper Ducati alternative may be Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team), with the Aussie priced at 3.2M and having twice claimed P4 finishes in Termas.
The early season form of factory KTMs Brad Binder and Miguel Oliveira also makes them some desirable riders for your team, while Yamaha duo Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli will always offer a serious race threat. With little recent history to judge the formbooks, and it being the closest MotoGP™ field in years, it’s incredibly difficult to call how this one will unfold. In order to make the right choice for your MotoGP™ Fantasy Team, tune in over the weekend to follow all the action from an Argentina Grand Prix with a revised schedule.