Marc Marquez must wait at least another two weeks to secure his eighth MotoGP world title after finishing runner-up to Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi at the Qatar Grand Prix in Lusail. The event marked the return of major motorsport to Qatar following a hiatus caused by the United States-Israel war on Iran.
Entering the race, Ducati’s Marquez had the mathematical possibility of clinching the crown on Sunday if his primary challenger, Jorge Martin, failed to score any points. Pole-sitter Bezzecchi ultimately claimed his sixth victory of the season, narrowing the gap to Marquez to 74 points. Although this difference mirrors the total points remaining in the championship, the Italian rider remains effectively out of title contention. However, the Italian, who is third in the championship standings, essentially has no chance of winning his first world title because that gap is the same as the number of points that remain available.
Reflecting on his recovery, Bezzecchi expressed his satisfaction, stating, “It feels amazing. I’m very happy. It was the performance we deserved. It’s been a fantastic weekend for us; I’ve been super quick and super comfortable on the bike. It’s a shame for yesterday, but it’s part of the game, and to bounce back like this makes everything even better.” His performance on Sunday provided a sharp contrast to his Saturday sprint race, where he crashed while attempting a risky overtake on Marquez.
Jorge Martin, meanwhile, faced a challenging race.
While he could not replicate his Saturday performance—where he surged from 11th on the grid to nearly overtake Marquez—he successfully finished seventh.
Despite racing with a recently broken right wrist, Martin remains in the title fight, trailing Marquez by 60 points with two race weekends left in the calendar. Marquez now has a clear path to glory; he can secure an eighth title—surpassing the record held by Valentino Rossi—if he finishes two points ahead of Martin in the upcoming Portimao sprint.
Discussing his own tactics, Marquez noted that his focus was on tire management early on. “[My strategy] was just to try to manage the race for the first five laps. I saw that in one part of the race, I was super fast, but I knew that riding on that riding style, I was eating the front tyre,” the Spaniard explained. “Third position would have been OK, but I saw that Raul Fernandez was struggling, so you never know. I attack and get four points more.” Fernandez ultimately rounded out the podium in third place.
