Movistar Yamaha MotoGP's new rider Mavrick Vinales won the second round of the MotoGP 2017, Gran Premio Motul de la Republica Argentina, on Sunday. The 22-year-old Spaniard, who also won the season opener QatarGP, has became the first Yamaha rider since Wayne Rainey in 1990 to win the first two races of the year.
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Vinales' teammate and seven-time world champion Valentino Rossi finished the line second. He had an intense battle with LCR Honda's Cal Crutchlow to reach the podium as top independent team rider.
Reigning champion Marc Marquez of Repsol Honda started the race from the pole position and took an early lead. However, Marquez crashed out on lap four and that made Vinales lead the rest of laps.
Honda rider Crutchlow started from third and moved up to second but was passed by Valentino Rossi on lap 19 of 25. Rossi had another electric start, from seventh on the grid to his second consecutive podium of the season – in his 350th World Championship start.
The race for fourth position was extreme as Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) battled to get past Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing), with Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), Alvaro Bautista (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) and Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) getting in the mix. After a couple of back-to-back overtakes with Zarco, Pedrosa broke free to set the fastest lap – before disaster struck as a crash.
In the end, Bautista finished fourth and Monster Yamaha Tech 3's Zarco and Jonas Folger passed the chequered flag as fifth and sixth riders. Petrucci crossed the line as the seventh rider ahead of his teammate Scott Redding. Jack Miller (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) finished the race in the ninth position while front row starter Karel Abraham (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) managed the tenth spot.
Three-time world champion Jorge Lorenzo continued struggling with his new team Ducati as he crashed out on the first corner, following a disappointing 11th-placed finish in Qatar.
With two wins in a row, Vinales now holds 50 points in the championship race, 14 points ahead of Yamaha teammate Rossi.
Argentina MotoGP results:
1. Maverick Vinales (Spain) Yamaha 41:45.060
2. Valentino Rossi (Italy) Yamaha 41:47.975
3. Cal Crutchlow (Britain) Honda 41:48.814
4. Alvaro Bautista (Spain) Ducati 41:51.583
5. Johann Zarco (France) Yamaha 42:00.564
6. Jonas Folger (Germany) Yamaha 42:03.301
7. Danilo Petrucci (Italy) Ducati 42:05.106
8. Scott Redding (Britain) Ducati 42:10.540
9. Jack Miller (Australia) Honda 42:10.725
10. Karel Abraham (Czech Republic) Ducati 42:11.463
