Marc Márquez triumphed in a Sprint marked by crashes and fierce battles at the Qatar MotoGP Grand Prix on Saturday (7), earning the first opportunity to claim his eighth world title in the class on Sunday. The rider on the Ducati took advantage of Marco Bezzecchi’s retirement to widen his lead in the standings, while Jorge Martín, despite being injured, managed to finish in third.
With the result, Márquez opened a 49-point gap over Martín, his main title rival, while Bezzecchi trailed by 79 points. To clinch the championship as early as Sunday, the Spaniard needs to win the main race and hope Martín doesn’t score any points.
A Sprint began with a strong start by Bezzecchi, who held the lead under pressure from Márquez. However, the initial battle was halted on the opening lap after a serious crash involving Fermín Aldeguer and Francesco Bagnaia at turn 16.
Aldeguer lost his braking reference while trying to pass Pedro Acosta and struck Bagnaia, who was launched off his Ducati. The red flag was waved to facilitate medical attention for the Italian, who remained conscious but suffered fractures to the fourth and fifth metatarsals of his right foot, according to the team. The rider was taken to a hospital in Doha for further examinations.
On the restart, for a ten-lap Sprint, Márquez took the lead, followed by Bezzecchi and Fabio Di Giannantonio. Martín, who had started from 11th, quickly surged through the field, reaching sixth place already on the first lap.
The lead battle reached its decisive moment when Bezzecchi tried to take advantage of a gap left by Márquez. The two touched wheels as the Spaniard re-entered the racing line, causing Bezzecchi to crash and retire. The stewards reviewed the incident and decided not to hand out penalties, classifying the contact as a racing incident.
As Márquez consolidated his lead, Martín mounted a notable comeback. Only two weeks after breaking his right wrist in Australia, the Aprilia rider managed to challenge the leader, but could not complete the overtake.
In the final laps, Di Giannantonio pressed Martín and claimed second place on the last lap, ensuring a Ducati 1-2 at the front. The Spanish rider from Aprilia completed the podium after starting from 11th.
Raúl Fernández finished fourth, followed by Johann Zarco, Pedro Acosta, Ai Ogura and Enea Bastianini. Iker Lecuona earned the final point available, finishing the Sprint in ninth.
The victory was Márquez’s 25th in Sprint races, a category record. Despite Bezzecchi’s retirement, he still has mathematical chances to win the championship, but the Spaniard’s advantage keeps the title within reach.
The main race of the Qatar Grand Prix takes place on Sunday, at 19:00 local time in Doha, with Márquez facing the possibility of sealing the title if he wins and Martín finishes outside the points.
