It’s been two seasons since the MotoGP™ paddock last raced in Argentina, and this weekend’s return to Termas de Rio Hondo will be exciting for riders and fans alike.

Situated in northern Argentina, around an hour from the venerable city of Santiago del Estero, the circuit was overhauled in 2012 and has since been used for several high-profile motorsport events ranging from the Dakar Rally to World Touring Cars. The MotoGP™ World Championship made its debut here in 2014 and it has become a well-loved fixture on the calendar thanks to its varied layout. The circuit suffered a devastating fire in 2021 and much of the venue has been rebuilt ahead of this season.

For Team Suzuki Ecstar it’s a place where the squad have seen success. Alex Rins has finished in the Top 5 on all but one visit to the track, with a superb second place coming in 2018. Joan Mir took victory in Argentina when in the Moto3™ class, but he has only tackled the track once in the top class.

Rins and Mir come into the third round of the season after a slightly challenging start to the season; they have collected solid points and consistent finishes but no podiums so far. They will certainly be looking to turn this around this weekend in Termas.


Alex Rins:

“It feels great to return to Argentina again after some years away! I have had lots of good results at this circuit and I feel confident and positive coming into this new race weekend. The fans usually bring a really vibrant atmosphere and it makes us even more excited to return. My Crew Chief, Manu, is Argentinian and I would like to reward him, my team, and the fans with a top result!”

Joan Mir:

“I have only competed on the GSX-RR once at Termas, in 2019, and I wasn’t able to finish the race, but I’m keen to get on track again and see what I can do. The layout is really nice because it has a bit of everything and it keeps us focused and pushing. I won here in the Moto3 class and I really enjoyed it. Even though I don’t have much data for this weekend I’m sure we can build on the results achieved in the first two races of the year.”

Livio Suppo – Team Manager:

“Our two riders achieved decent results in the first two races in Qatar and Indonesia, and we’re happy with their consistency. Indonesia was a particularly challenging weekend because of the weather changes and track surface, but they still scored solid points. We want to get on the podium as soon as possible and this could be the place to do it, because both Alex and Joan have good feelings about this track. We will be particularly interested to see how our new spec. 2022 GSX-RR performs here. It can also be an unpredictable place when it comes to weather conditions; it’s often cold in the mornings and hot in the afternoons. We’re still in the early part of the season and we’re still building up momentum, but we’re working well all together and we’re excited to return here.”