DUCATI SAYS QATAR COULD DEFINE MARQUEZ’S TITLE CAMPAIGN

Marc Marquez left Qatar with the MotoGP title still undecided, but a major step closer to an eighth championship. His sprint victory and second place in the Grand Prix extended his lead to 60 points. He had arrived with a chance to clinch the title by outscoring Jorge Martin by 30 points and Marco Bezzecchi by eight, but the Qatar results were not quite enough to seal it with two rounds remaining. Marquez can now secure the crown by winning the sprint at the Portuguese Grand Prix.

Ducati general manager Gigi Dall’Igna believes Qatar could prove the defining race of the season. He praised Marquez’s judgement and adaptability, saying the Spaniard knows how to adjust his approach to the demands of a race and the state of the championship. “Whether it is the strength and instinct of a fighter or the execution of a fine strategy, he always knows which aspect to let prevail,” Dall’Igna said.

Marquez’s performance, he added, was built on patience as well as speed. The first part of the race was about managing pace and tyre wear; later, Marquez raised his tempo and mounted a sustained charge. After setting the fastest lap, he secured second place. Dall’Igna described it as “a masterful reading and managing of the race as it unfolds” and said Marquez had extracted the maximum from a situation in which he was not the favourite. The result, he said, “feels like an outright victory”.

The championship implications are historic. If Marquez wins the title, he will move to second on the all-time list, level with Giacomo Agostini on eight premier-class championships. He would also become the first rider to overturn a deficit of more than 100 points to take the title, and the first in the modern era to surpass Valentino Rossi’s seven championships.

Dall’Igna nevertheless warned Ducati against treating the outcome as settled. “The job isn’t done yet,” he said, stressing that the team must remain fully committed through the final two rounds. Those races will also determine the constructors’ championship, and he said Ducati must honour the work of its team, respect its rivals and acknowledge its supporters.