Pecco Bagnaia heads to Argentina full of confidence after incredible start

After a sensational performance and his second career podium at Losail, the Aspar Mahindra rider is hoping to step up another level in Argentina

After the huge adrenaline rush of the first round of the Moto3 World Championship in Qatar, a welcome Easter weekend off is the perfect respite for the teams and riders ahead of back-to-back races at opposite ends of the Americas (Argentina and Texas). The Termas de Río Hondo circuit plays host to the Grand Prix of Argentina for the third time this weekend, the long, fast and fun layout having produced some memorable racing over the past two visits. Niccolo Antonelli is the early series leader after his narrow victory at Losail, where seven riders fought for a win that was decided by a fraction of a second. This weekend's racing promises to be every bit as close. 
There is no better way to start a season than with a podium, which was exactly what Pecco Bagnaia did in Qatar. The Aspar Mahindra rider was one of the most combative men in the lead group and his efforts were rewarded with a third-place finish and sixteen points to open his account for the season. Now he travels to Argentina looking to step his performance up another level and although the Termas circuit was not easy for him in 2015 he knows it suits his style and he is confident he can maintain his strong start to the year. Bagnaia still has work to do with his new Mahindra fairing, as will his team-mate Jorge Martín this weekend. The Aspar Mahindra youngster was out of luck in Qatar but he is hopeful of turning things around this weekend.  
Pecco Bagnaia: “We struggled a little at Termas last season because we didn't have a base set-up. I liked the track but you need a perfect set-up to be fast there and after seeing the level in Qatar I guess it is going to be another tough weekend, working a lot. We still have work to do with the new fairing, which already worked so well for us in the last race. There is also a long straight at this track, where we will struggle, so we have to be on the lookout for a slipstream. The objective is to get the most out of every session and be as high as possible all weekend. We found the perfect set-up for Losail, now we have to find it for Argentina, because it was our perfect chassis that allowed us to fight at the front. I am going to Argentina with lots of motivation after the third place in Qatar”.
Jorge Martín: “Even though the Termas de Río Hondo circuit didn't turn out well for us last year I like it a lot. The first race of this season wasn't what we wanted but we are determined to turn our luck around in Argentina. We were losing too much to our rivals on the straights but for this weekend we will have some important updates. We have a new fairing, which as we saw at Losail was very beneficial to my team-mate Pecco. Hopefully I can get comfortable with the new fairing straight away and hopefully it helps us to be running at the front all weekend. Our only plan is to work and work to make sure we go into the race with the best possible set-up.”