• Positive World Championship debut for Mancini with the Desmo250 MX
The Argentine Grand Prix, the opening round of the FIM Motocross World Championship, was held this weekend at the new Bariloche MX Track in San Carlos de Bariloche, a small town located on the southern shore of Lake Nahuel Huapi in northern Patagonia. The event marked the start of the 2026 MXGP season.
MXGP
Meanwhile, Andrea Bonacorsi settled into sixth and Jeremy Seewer into 16th early on. The Italian quickly found a good rhythm and consolidated his position with superb pace before a bad crash on lap six forced him to retire after suffering a severe blow to his side. The chequered flag of the first race sealed Seewer’s 17th, having recovered from an early fall that had dropped him out of the top 20.
At the start of the second race, a malfunctioning starting gate forced officials to halt proceedings after a few minutes. A second start allowed Vlaanderen to line up with the second bike, following a crash on the first lap that had taken him out of the race. Bonacorsi was the best of the three Red Bull Ducati Factory MXGP Team riders at the second start. The Italian battled with his Dutch teammate to break into the top 10 in the early laps, but the pain from his crash eventually slowed him to the point where he could no longer ride. Vlaanderen also struggled with pain after a spill immediately following the first start, yet by gritting his teeth, he managed a 12th-place finish, allowing him to end 11th overall, just two points shy of the top 10. Seewer repeated his 17th from race one in the second, concluding the Argentine weekend in the same position.
Calvin Vlaanderen: “The first GP is done, of course, not the results that I wanted. My goal was to be inside the top seven. I think realistically I can be between fourth and seventh, and I showed that today with my speed, I think I could have easily been in the top five. I just missed the start. And I struggled to pass in the first race, which cost me a bit of time. But anyway, I was happy with my riding. Then in the second race, I had a big crash in the first start. Thankfully, they red-flagged it because of a start malfunction, and I could go again, but I just really struggled with my right leg. I had a lot of pain, so I did what I could to finish the race. But yeah, we take the points and we keep going. I’m happy with my speed at the moment and with my feeling on the bike. I need to work on my starts, and then we can be inside the top five.”
Andrea Bonacorsi: “It was a good weekend that allowed us to test our level. I felt really good on the bike, and I made progress every time I went out on track. In race one, after a good start, I was in front and had a good pace; I was making some good lines, and I’m sure I could have finished in the top five. Unfortunately, I had a bad crash and hurt my ribs. In race two, I hoped I could make it, but after a few minutes, I felt like I couldn’t get the strength in my legs and push, and I had to stop. I’m staying positive; I know that when we put all the pieces together, we can fight for a top five finish.”
MX2
It was a memorable day for Simone Mancini, who made his MX2 World Championship debut in Argentina riding the Desmo250 MX, delivering a highly positive performance. With two strong starts from the 18th gate, the Beddini Racing Ducati Factory MX2 Team rider battled just outside the top 10 in both motos, with him notably finishing 13th in the first heat. A technical problem forced him out in the second heat with just two laps remaining, while he was running in 11th. Despite this setback, Mancini still scored points in the second heat to end his first world championship weekend 17th overall.
Simone Mancini: “Competing in my first World Championship race in Argentina was a great experience. It could have ended a little better, but I made progress throughout the weekend from free practice to race two, improving each time. The track was challenging, and it was also very demanding physically because I’m not ready for the 30-minute motos plus two laps of the World Championship, but I gritted my teeth until the end, and I’m happy with my riding. Now we continue preparing for the European Championship, always trying to improve.”
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