Lusail [Qatar], November 8: Marc Marquez of Ducati showed why he loves racing at the Lusail International Circuit on Saturday as the Spaniard claimed a dramatic MotoGP Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar sprint gold, earning 12 points to head into Sunday's Grand Prix with a championship match point.
The rider with the biggest chance of stopping the bike #93 from clinching a famous eighth MotoGP title is the heroic Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) after the #89's teammate, Marco Bezzecchi, crashed out after contact with Marquez, to see the Italian face a mammoth mountain to climb if he's to win the 2026 title.
Starting from second on the grid, Marquez needed to finish sprint with five more points than closest rival Jorge Martin in order to have his first shot at retaining his title, and he did exactly that.
Marquez is now 49 points ahead of Martin, who put in a brilliant performance to finish third on his return from a broken right wrist, with two weekends to come in the season following Sunday's Grand Prix.
The 33-year-old overtook pole-sitter Marco Bezzecchi on the first lap of a race which had to be restarted after his team-mate Francesco Bagnaia was sent flying off the track by Fermin Aldeguer.
That heavy crash left two-time former world champion Bagnaia with fractures in his right foot, injuries that have ruled him out of Sunday's race.
"It was a strange sprint race especially with the red flag... I was super concentrated," said Marquez.
"When I opened a gap I tried to control the race and yeah, 12 points are very important."
Aprilia's Bezzecchi -- who posted a record lap time in qualifying -- is no longer a title contender after also crashing out, this time while trying to overtake Marquez.
In the meantime Bezzecchi's team-mate Martin worked his way up from 11th on the grid to be on Marquez's wheel, and a second-placed finish would have been enough to ensure the title race be pushed to the next GP weekend in Portimao.
But Martin, clearly in pain due to his wrist, slipped back to third behind Fabio Di Giannantonio on the final lap, giving Marquez his chance to win his eighth world crown -- one more than his great rival Valentino Rossi.
However in order to seal the deal on Sunday and draw level for premier class titles with Giacomo Agostini, Marquez needs to win the GP and hope that Martin doesn't score a point.
That seems unlikely as Martin only needs to finish 15th or higher to deny his compatriot for at least another fortnight, and his performance on Saturday showed how much he's willing to fight on.
"I'm really proud of the work I'm doing," said Martin.
"When I was fighting with Marc it was really nice, finally I didn't have the power to keep pushing but to be here on the podium is incredible. For me it's already a victory."
In the Fan Zone, attendees enjoyed interactive entertainment, and for the first time, the MotoGP Fan Zone at LIC hosted a podium for the Tissot Sprint, bringing the celebration of the race straight to the fans. A Hero Walk brought Moto2 and Moto3 riders together with the first 400 fans through the gates, who accessed the paddock to take photographs, collect autographs and meet the sport's rising stars up close.
As the 2026 MotoGP Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar heads into its final day, Sunday's program will feature Race 2 of the Idemitsu Moto4 Asia Cup, the MotoGP Hero Walk and Talk Show, the Moto3 and Moto2 races and the ceremony, ahead of the 22 lap MotoGP Grand Prix.
Source: Qatar Tribune