MotoGP Argentina Grand Prix 2016 Results: Winner, Standings and Reaction

Marc Marquez went top of the MotoGP World Championship standings thanks to a sensational victory at the Argentina Grand Prix on Sunday.

The Spaniard produced a commanding display from start to finish to hit the top of the podium, with last week’s winner, Valentino Rossi, taking the runner-up spot and Dani Pedrosa coming in third after a dramatic twist in the dying embers of the race.

Here's a look at the full results from an entertaining Grand Prix in Santiago del Estero:  

Not Classified
Pos.	Rider	Team	Bike	Time
1	Marc MARQUEZ	Repsol Honda Team	Honda	34'13.628
2	Valentino ROSSI	Movistar Yamaha MotoGP	Yamaha	+7.679
3	Dani PEDROSA	Repsol Honda Team	Honda	+28.100
4	Eugene LAVERTY	Aspar Team MotoGP	Ducati	+36.542
5	Hector BARBERA	Avintia Racing	Ducati	+36.711
6	Pol ESPARGARO	Monster Yamaha Tech 3	Yamaha	+37.245
7	Stefan BRADL	Aprilia Racing Team Gresini	Aprilia	+41.353
8	Bradley SMITH	Monster Yamaha Tech 3	Yamaha	+50.709
9	Tito RABAT	Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS	Honda	+50.983
10	Alvaro BAUTISTA	Aprilia Racing Team Gresini	Aprilia	+1'01.388
11	Aleix ESPARGARO	Team SUZUKI ECSTAR	Suzuki	+1'08.868
12	Michele PIRRO	OCTO Pramac Yakhnich	Ducati	+1'18.987
13	Andrea DOVIZIOSO	Ducati Team	Ducati	+1'33.419
	Andrea IANNONE	Ducati Team	Ducati	1 Lap
	Cal CRUTCHLOW	LCR Honda	Honda	1 Lap
	Maverick VIÑALES	Team SUZUKI ECSTAR	Suzuki	3 Laps
	Scott REDDING	OCTO Pramac Yakhnich	Ducati	5 Laps
	Loris BAZ	Avintia Racing	Ducati	8 Laps
	Jorge LORENZO	Movistar Yamaha MotoGP	Yamaha	15 Laps
	Jack MILLER	Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS	Honda	17 Laps
	Yonny HERNANDEZ	Aspar Team MotoGP	Ducati	18 Laps

Marquez came a disappointing fifth in Qatar last time out, but he looked keen to make up for it straight from the off as he flew off the line.

Valentino Rossi, Andrea Dovizioso and the 2014 world champion were jostling for position early on, with Marquez right on the back of Rossi.

However, it wasn’t long before he made a surge for the front of the pack, as MotoGP revealed:

Rossi did edge in front of Marquez after the Spaniard showed a little too much hesitance in a corner, but he immediately handed Marquez his advantage back with a wide turn, via BT Sport MotoGP:

It was quickly turning into a two-horse race in Argentina, and when Jorge Lorenzo crashed, another challenger was out of the running, per MotoGP:

Both racers stopped in pit lane in their 10th laps, and it was the Spaniard who was the most effective—getting out and gaining a big lead over his rival.

From then on, only a mistake from Marquez would bring Rossi back into the match, but he was simply too solid. In fact, his lap times were getting faster and faster.

Behind Marquez, Rossi was under immense pressure as the race edged towards its conclusion.

Suzuki youngster Maverick Vinales was on the Italian’s tail, while Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone were poised and ready to pounce on any slip-up in front of them.

Disaster then struck for Vinales, as his front end struck a damp patch on the first turn and sent him sprawling off the track, via MotoGP:

That didn’t mean smooth sailing for Rossi, though, as Ducati duo Dovizioso and Iannone nipped in front of him and made a surge for the line.

However, at Turn 12 Iannone tried to take Dovizioso on the inside and only succeeded in wiping out his teammate and gifting the chance to Rossi, via BT Sport MotoGP:

Still, Sunday’s race was all about Marquez, who hit the top of the World Championship standings at the expense of Rossi:

Pos.	Rider	Team	Points
1	Marc MARQUEZ	Honda	41
2	Valentino ROSSI	Yamaha	33
3	Dani PEDROSA	Honda	27
4	Jorge LORENZO	Yamaha	25
5	Andrea DOVIZIOSO	Ducati	23
6	Pol ESPARGARO	Yamaha	19
7	Hector BARBERA	Ducati	18
8	Eugene LAVERTY	Ducati	17
9	Bradley SMITH	Yamaha	16
10	Maverick VIÑALES	Suzuki	10
11	Aleix ESPARGARO	Suzuki	10
12	Alvaro BAUTISTA	Aprilia	9
13	Stefan BRADL	Aprilia	9
14	Tito RABAT	Honda	8
15	Scott REDDING	Ducati	6
16	Michele PIRRO	Ducati	4
17	Jack MILLER	Honda	2

The Spaniard truly looked back to his dominant best in difficult circumstances in Argentina, with the fluid change to his second bike giving him the platform to push on and take the win.

Next up on the MotoGP calendar is the Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin, Texas, where Marquez will look for a repeat display to edge ahead of Rossi in the World Championship standings.

Race Reaction

After the race, Marquez cut a very satisfied figure, and he said to BT Sport MotoGP that he owed his victory to his second bike, having not felt comfortable on the first:

All of the post-race talk was on the Ducati team's moment of madness that gifted Rossi second place, and former rider Colin Edwards commented that the powers-that-be wouldn't be best pleased: