The 32-year-old was certainly put through his paces and at one point joked that he needed a nice cup of tea to help him replenish in an action-packed evening in Argentina.

Anstie looked in control from the off and was quickest from practice – no wonder he is being spoken about as the favourite to win the SX2 title he first claimed in 2023.

VIEW ALL THE RESULTS FROM ROUND 1 HERE

The Team GSM Powered By Star Racing rider had come into this year’s World Supercross Championship having missed a chunk of the season after undergoing a troublesome leg injury he suffered back in March.

“Every time I come here – I’ve been here for a couple of MXGPs back in the day – and man, the fans in Argentina are the best in the world. So thank you – it was a great night.”

The initial prognosis was that he would be back up to speed in no time but complications led to an operation, delaying his recovery.

Now, he is eager to make up for lost time and served up a treat in front of a bumper crowd. He said: “It was a crazy night and great to be here in Argentina. The fans are amazing.

“Every time I come here – I’ve been here for a couple of MXGPs back in the day – and man, the fans in Argentina are the best in the world. So thank you – it was a great night.”

Hard night for McElrath

Anstie’s main threat to the title is Shane McElrath. The Quad Lock Honda rider finished the round in second place.

He added: “It was a lot of work tonight – a lot harder than it should have been. We came in prepared, but we still have work to do.

It was a lot of work tonight – a lot harder than it should have been.

“The team has been putting in a lot of time, and we’re going to get back to it. We’ll be back next weekend in Canada.

“It was some hard racing tonight. The track was really technical. There weren’t a lot of lines, and they were slippery.”

Coty Schock of Rick Ware Racing took the final spot on the podium ahead of Round 2 in Vancouver on 15th November.