Marc Marquez led another Marquez 1-2 in MotoGP qualifying for the Argentina Grand Prix, as Johann Zarco put a Honda on the front row.
Marquez, who ended up with a new Termas de Rio Hondo premier-class record lap of 1m36.917s, was never really threatened during the Q2 pole shootout.
He ended up with a 0.246s gap to his brother Alex, while just 0.251s separated second place and Marco Bezzecchi in ninth.
But while the Marquez brothers' form followed on from what MotoGP had seen in the season opener in Thailand, LCR rider Zarco joining them on the front row was an eyebrow-raiser.
Zarco, something of a Termas de Rio Hondo track specialist, had looked stellar on Friday already and told media he felt he had a genuine shot at a podium - backing up his words with action in qualifying.
His front row start will be Honda's first since Marquez at Mugello in 2023.
Pecco Bagnaia was fourth for Ducati, with the third sector - featuring the hard braking into Turn 7 transitioning into a long right-hander and then a change of direction - responsible for most of his deficit to Marquez.
He will be joined on the second row by KTM's Pedro Acosta, who was behind Bagnaia on his fastest lap, and VR46 Ducati rider Fabio Di Giannantonio.
Fabio Quartararo returned to his familiar perch as Yamaha's shining light by placing seventh, followed by his former team-mate Franco Morbidelli (VR46 Ducati) - who had shrugged off a crash from pre-qualifying practice to dominate Q1.
Bezzecchi (Aprilia), Joan Mir (Honda), Brad Binder (KTM) and Alex Rins (Yamaha) completed the Q2 order.
Argentina Grand Prix grid
1 M Marquez 2 A Marquez 3 Zarco
4 Bagnaia 5 Acosta 6 Di Giannantonio
7 Quartararo 8 Morbidelli 9 Bezzecchi
10 Mir 11 Binder 12 Rins
13 Miller 14 Aldeguer 15 Ogura
16 Marini 17 Oliveira 18 Fernandez
19 Chantra 20 Vinales 21 Bastianini
22 Savadori
Pramac Yamaha's Jack Miller was narrowly denied a second successive Q2 appearance by Mir, but was still nearly half a second (and four places) clear of team-mate Miguel Oliveira.
It's getting tense! @JoanMirOfficial takes 2nd as @AiOgura79's Q2 hopes end with a crash 🤯#ArgentinaGP 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/S31l173GN3
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) March 15, 2025
Rookie Ai Ogura (Trackhouse Aprilia) likewise came up short of his Thailand Grand Prix heroics, crashing at Turn 2 in pursuit of a Q2 spot - which allowed fellow newcomer Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini Ducati) to just nip ahead of him in 14th place.
KTM's new Tech3 riders continued to struggle badly for single-lap pace, Maverick Vinales narrowly ahead of Enea Bastianini but only 20th - eight hundredths behind Somkiat Chantra despite the LCR Honda rookie crashing during Q1.
A late crash for @somkiat35 😱 The Thai rider is down in 7th #ArgentinaGP 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/kNGhg46rA5
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) March 15, 2025
