Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider, Álex Márquez, heads into this weekend's Grand Prix of Argentina with his sights set firmly on the podium.

Márquez likes the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit where, just 12 months ago, he was involved in a hectic battle for the race win with teammate Franco Morbidelli before crashing out on the final lap.

It's an error that Márquez is determined not to repeat this weekend as he chases his first win of the season, after a rear brake problem forced him to settle for third place in the opening racing in Qatar.

But the Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider knows he will have to fight hard for a win in Argentina, where typically low grip levels could favour the factory KTM machines of Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder.

Deteriorating rear grip in the latter stages of the race meant that Joan Mir narrowly missed out on a top ten finish on his Moto2 debut in Qatar, a situation he's keen to rectify in Argentina this weekend.

Like his Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS teammate Mir is also a fan of the 4.2km Termas de Rio Hondo circuit, having won last year's race on his way to the Moto3 World Championship title. The Majorcan is determined to add to his points haul this weekend with a strong result in only his second race in the intermediate Moto2 category.

Álex Márquez:
“I enjoy Argentina a lot. Last year I was fast here and was able to fight for the victory, so it's a good track for me, even if I did crash on the last lap. It was at this race last year that I made the step that allowed me to challenge for race wins during the remainder of the season, so I'm happy to be back. Termas is always a little bit slippery and grip is hard to find, so we need to focus on this during practice. I think the KTM bikes will be strong here because of the grip levels, so we need to stay focussed as we work to reduce their advantage.”

Joan Mir:
“I'm looking forward to the weekend ahead. I have good memories of this track after the win here on the Moto3 bike last year. Normally this is a layout that suits me and one on which I can go fast, but we this is my first time here racing in Moto2, so we will need to see during practice.  For me the goal this weekend is quite clear; to make a step forward compared to the first race in Qatar and come away on Sunday with a better result.”