Motorcycling-Alex Marquez battles fire and damp track to take pole at Argentina GP

MotoGP - Argentina Grand Prix - Autodromo Termas de Rio Hondo, Santiago del Estero, Argentina - March 31, 2023 Gresini Racing MotoGP's Alex Marquez in action during practice REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian

(Reuters) - Alex Marquez overcame a crash and fire on his Gresini Ducati machine in the first qualifying session to take his maiden pole position in MotoGP at the Argentina Grand Prix on Saturday, on a damp track where his tyre gamble paid off.

Marquez had initially topped Q1 to move into Q2, but he had to switch bikes after his machine caught fire after a fall, and he had to abandon it on the side of the track as marshals extinguished the flames licking the bottom of the bike.