SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO, Argentina — It was a day of MotoGP firsts in Sunday’s Argentine Grand Prix.
Aleix Espargaro rode to his first MotoGP triumph and in so doing gave Aprilia its first victory in the MotoGP era.
Espargaro started his 200th MotoGP race from the pole, but gave up the early lead to Pramac’s Jorge Martin. The two traded the lead several times, but Espargaro took the lead for good with five laps remaining.
Espargaro took the checkered flag at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit ahead of Martin. Suzuki rider Alex Rins completed the podium, making it a sweep for Spanish riders.
“I’m very happy, it’s been a long, long time. It was my 200th GP in the premier class,” an Espargaro said.
The 32-year-old Espargaro knew the pressure was on after he won the pole.
“It wasn’t an easy race, I didn’t have grip at all, I couldn’t do my best, I was trying to find a good configuration,” he said. “We truly deserve it and the most special thing is we’re leading the championship.”
Espargaro leads the championship by seven points over KTM’s Brad Binder.