Bezzecchi wins Qatar MotoGP as Marquez title wait goes to Portugal
Marco Bezzecchi took victory at Lusail while Marc Márquez finished second and must wait at least two weeks to clinch the championship.
KEY POINTS
- Marco Bezzecchi won the Qatar MotoGP from pole position
- Marc Márquez finished second and did not clinch the eighth premier-class title
- Raúl Fernández took third despite hand problems
- Jorge Martín finished seventh with a fractured right forearm
- Márquez leads the standings with 431 points and can win the title in Portimao
Marco Bezzecchi won the Qatar MotoGP Grand Prix at Lusail, controlling the race from start to finish. The Aprilia rider started from pole position and maintained the lead from the opening lap.
Bezzecchi gradually pulled away from the field to claim his sixth main-race victory of the 2026 season. He crossed the finish line after 41 minutes and 29.173 seconds.
“Portimao is a very technical, spectacular circuit, but one of the easiest on which to make mistakes.”
Marc Márquez finished second, 3.083 seconds behind Bezzecchi. The Spaniard had a difficult start, losing a position in the early corners to Raúl Fernández and Pedro Acosta.
Márquez recovered steadily in the second half and set the fastest lap of the race with 10 laps remaining, timing 1:52.558. He passed Raúl Fernández with four laps to go but could not catch Bezzecchi.
Raúl Fernández finished third despite hand problems and losing speed on the Lusail straight late in the race. Jorge Martín finished seventh after moving up from tenth on the grid.
Márquez leads the world championship with 431 points, 60 ahead of Martín and 74 ahead of Bezzecchi. He can mathematically secure the title if he wins Saturday's sprint race in Portimao in two weeks.
5 more sources below
COMMENTS (0)
No comments yet. Be the first.
RELATED STORIES
Barcelona completes comeback to beat Atlético 2-1 in La Liga
Fermín López scored twice, including the winner, as Barcelona overturned Giuliano Simeone's early opener.
England beats Australia 45-22 in Nations Championship opener
Henry Pollock scores twice as England secures a seven-try victory over the Wallabies at Twickenham.
Connolly to step down as Derry City manager after FAI Cup win
Mark Connolly will leave the interim manager role to focus on appointing his successor as director of football.
This page was compiled with AI assistance from the outlets named above and passed an automated language check before publication. Montegre has no reporters of its own; the byline names the outlets the story was compiled from. Method and editorial standards