SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO, Argentina (Reuters) – Aleix Espargaro claimed his maiden MotoGP win at the Argentine Grand Prix on Sunday with an intense ride which also gave Aprilia their first ever victory in the MotoGP era.
Pole sitter Espargaro, competing in his 200th MotoGP race, was overtaken before the first turn after Jorge Martin had a perfect launch off the line as both riders managed to get away and built a two-second gap on the rest of the field.
The two traded places repeatedly at the front but Espargaro finally reclaimed the lead when he made an overtaking move stick with five laps to go while the battle also allowed Suzuki’s Alex Rins to cut the deficit to less than a second.
But Espargaro held on to take the chequered flag at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit ahead of Martin while Rins finished third, which ensured nine different riders have finished on the podium after three races this season.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis)
