MARQUEZ’S HEART RATE HITS A DECADE HIGH AS HE PASSES FERNANDEZ IN QATAR

Raul Fernandez secured third place in the MotoGP race at Lusail, adding another podium on his comeback from a broken finger. Starting fourth, the Trackhouse Aprilia rider moved into second behind fellow Aprilia racer Marco Bezzecchi on the opening lap. He tried to stay in Bezzecchi’s slipstream to save fuel, but could not hold off Marc Marquez in the closing stages. Marquez finished 0.531 seconds ahead of Fernandez, who was 3.6 seconds behind race winner Bezzecchi.

Fernandez said he was delighted to be back on the podium, though he had not expected to arrive in Qatar and contend for one. His main aim had been to see how his injured fingers would cope. He said he felt no pain on track and focused on following Bezzecchi and managing fuel.

Fuel proved especially difficult at Lusail. “Fuel consumption is even more critical here than tyre wear,” Fernandez explained. Despite trying to save fuel behind Bezzecchi, he was using too much; after six or seven laps, he switched to fuel map 3, leaving the bike without full power. He admitted he had not managed the situation well enough to keep Marquez behind him, and felt frustrated that his early fuel-saving effort had not worked.

Fernandez had hoped to stay close to Bezzecchi and avoid becoming “prey” for Marquez. Once Marquez passed, he tried to remain with him, saying he wanted to be able to fight him through to the end of the season. He also pointed to trouble preparing for the main straight, particularly through the final corner, as a factor in the difference between the riders. Bezzecchi, he added, had arrived with a strong mentality, while Fernandez himself had come into the weekend without high expectations.

Marquez, who started second and briefly fell to fourth, said his second-place finish left him physically “completely exhausted” but was the result of a deliberate approach. He had chosen not to chase Bezzecchi early, whose practice pace was around three to five tenths faster, because pushing could have damaged the front tyre. “I preferred to lose 1.5 seconds or two seconds in those first three or four laps,” he said, believing that would leave him able to maintain a stronger level over the remaining laps. He focused on keeping Jorge Martin behind before building his pace and catching Fernandez.

Marquez said he took an extra risk to pass Fernandez and push in the final two laps, because “you never know if you will need those four points.” He later revealed that his heart rate reached 190 beats per minute in the closing stages, writing on Instagram: “Over 10 years since I last hit this heart rate. My heart was pounding out of my chest in the last two laps!”

He was pleased to have scored the most points across the weekend, including qualifying and the Sprint, and said the effort was important in the title fight. Although he missed a first mathematical chance to clinch the championship, the result extended his lead over Martin to 60 points. A win in the Portimao Sprint will now be enough to secure a record-equalling eighth premier-class crown.

While physically drained after three races in a row, Marquez stressed that mentally he felt “better than ever.” He had limited his running during practice and warm-up to conserve energy for the race, explaining: “If you see Friday afternoon, just two laps, stop, two laps; this morning, even in the warm-up, I went out later, just trying to keep my energy for the race.”

Even so, Fernandez was pleased with the result after missing two races with his finger injury and said he was still not fully comfortable. “Thanks to the physiotherapists, I was able to be here at all,” he said. Fernandez and Bezzecchi were both struck by Marquez’s Ducati speed on the main straight. Marquez praised both manufacturers, telling the Aprilia riders: “Ducati is working well—but Aprilia too.”

Fernandez remains seventh in the championship with two rounds left. His Trackhouse team-mate Ai Ogura finished fourth after a late charge.