2014 Argentina’s Termas de Rio Hondo Moto3 Preview
The honor of riding in the first ever World Championship race at the new 2.986-mile Autódromo Termas de RÃo Hondo circuit goes to the Moto3 field this weekend as the series heads to Argentina for Round 3, with the smaller category running in the opening race of the day on Sunday.
Australia’s Jack Miller will strive to make it three in a row at the Premio Red Bull de la República Argentina. He has dominated in the opening rounds, taking victory in Qatar and Texas.
Having joined the successful Red Bull KTM Ajo for 2014, Miller has demonstrated the full potential many knew he had, taking maximum points from the opening two rounds and enjoying himself along the way.
Another rider who has made a solid start to the year is Efren Vazquez (SAXOPRINT RTG) who has also been on the podium twice already this year and aims to continue making the most of the solid support he is getting from Honda on their improving Moto3 machine.
Sure to be pushing Miller and Vazquez hard in Argentina is Italian youngster Romano Fenati, who rides for the new Valentino Rossi-backed SKY Racing Team VR46 and who chased Miller across the line in Austin, just 0.069s adrift of his rival.
Will the visit to South America see Estrella Galicia 0,0 pair Alex Rins and Alex Marquez click into form on their competitive Honda packages? Rins sits fourth in the early standings, having started the season somewhat off-color and off the podium in the first two races. Marquez is sixth overall after missing victory at Round 1 by just 0.233s and having crashed out late from the race in Austin.
Sandwiched between the Spanish pair in the overall classification is Jakub Kornfeil (Calvo Team), the 2009 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup champion having already displayed glimpses of his pace and talent early in 2014. Could he finally clinch his first Grand Prix podium this weekend?
The likes of the experienced Frenchman Alexis Masbou (Ongetta-Rivacold), young Italian Francesco Bagnaia (SKY Racing Team VR46), Portuguese rider Miguel Oliveira (Mahindra Racing) and improving Scotsman John McPhee (SAXOPRINT RTG) should also be in the hunt for more points.
Meanwhile Moto3 race winner Danny Kent will aim to hit form in the new Red Bull Husqvarna Ajo structure, having failed to impress so far on his return from Moto2.
FP1 for the Moto3 riders at the Gran Premio Red Bull de la República Argentina will be the first action of the weekend and gets underway on Friday at 9am local time (GMT -3).