Rossi after winning his 84th MotoGP race.

MOVISTAR Yamaha MotoGP’s Valentino Rossi has won his 84th MotoGP race at the Termas de rio Hondo circuit in Argentina after a dramatic short battle with Marc Marquez.

The Italian started from eighth on the grid and after finding his rhythm was moving through the field. With 20-laps to go, Movistar Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo was passed by ‘the Doctor’.

After passing Andrea Dovizioso, Rossi set his sights on Marquez who had a lead of over four seconds.

The nine-time World Champion reeled in Marquez lap by lap and with just two laps remaining he had caught the Spaniard. 

A fast exchange of positions through turns two, three and four, with Rossi exiting turn five in the lead. With adrenaline high and the prospect of a race win at stake, unfortunately Marquez clipped Rossi’s rear tyre and crashed out of contention.

Yamaha Factory Racing’s Managing Director Lin Jarvis has stated that Marquez tried to come back at Rossi ‘too soon and too agressive’. 

Speaking after the race, Rossi said: It’s a great victory, we made the right decision and started with the extra hard tyre.

“When I saw Marc start with the red one I knew that he would try to push at the beginning. I made a great start but on the first corner Iannone pushed me on the outside.

“Step by step I came back, and when I arrived in second Marc had a little more than four-second lead. I knew the race was long, so I knew he could have some difficulty. Catching him lap by lap, I could see him far away but coming closer and closer, it was a great taste!

“I overtook him in braking, but he is a rider who is all or nothing, he touched me in the corner, then he touched me again as I was accelerating, I think he made a mistake and he crashed.

“It’s a shame because it could have been a great fight on the last lap. In three races we have demonstrated we can be competitive everywhere and fight for the championship,” concluded the 36-year-old.

Rossi has now brought his podium tally up to 199, 110 of which are race wins and 51 are with Yamaha.

After winning the Argentinian Grand Prix, Rossi is now at 66-points in the Championship standings, 6-points clear of Dovizioso and 30-points ahead of Marquez. Movistar Yamaha MotoGP now lead the team standings on 103-points and Yamaha lead the constructors standings with 66-points.