MARQUEZ HAS TITLE CHANCE IN QATAR AS DUCATI WARNS OF MARTIN AND BEZZECCHI

Marc Marquez arrived in Qatar with a 44-point lead over Jorge Martin and his first chance to clinch the MotoGP title early. A championship win would give the Ducati rider an eighth crown in the premier class, moving him past Valentino Rossi’s seven, and a tenth across all Grand Prix categories.

Marquez played down the prospect at Thursday’s press conference. “I’m closer, but at the same time still a long way away,” he said, adding that the team would approach the weekend as it had in Malaysia: attack, give everything and assess their position as the sessions unfolded. With three race weekends remaining, he said, there was still plenty to do. He also described the pressure as familiar: “I feel exactly the same.”

The Qatar circuit has not always been among Marquez’s favourites, but he won there in Moto2 and twice in MotoGP, including both the sprint and Grand Prix in 2025. He said he had felt good at the track last year and would focus on finding his rhythm from the first practice session. “Finishing both races will be key,” he said.

His title challenge has gathered pace after a remarkable recovery. Following Mugello, Marquez was 102 points behind, but he said the Sachsenring was the first time he believed he was back in contention. Rivals Marco Bezzecchi and Martin had helped reopen the fight, he noted, while Ducati’s updates and improving feel had allowed him to build speed through the second half of the season.

Ducati Lenovo team manager Davide Tardozzi said the team’s position had changed dramatically since the Australian Grand Prix: Marquez’s speed and struggles among his rivals, particularly Martin, had shifted the balance, while Ducati had regained the manufacturers’ championship lead. He cautioned that Martin and Bezzecchi would do everything they could to stop the title being decided in Qatar. “It is only over when it is over,” he said, stressing Ducati’s respect for both Aprilia riders and noting that the team had previously won a title with Martin.

Tardozzi said having a chance to secure the championship now had seemed like “only a dream” a few months earlier. He credited Marquez with sustaining the team through a difficult spell, and said Ducati had stayed united after Mugello, made plans and worked on small improvements. The Italian Grand Prix had been a painful wake-up call: Aprilia won at Ducati’s home circuit, Marquez was not physically at his best, and Francesco Bagnaia’s third place reinforced the sense that something was wrong. Tardozzi called Mugello a catalyst for engineers, riders and the whole team to improve. He added that Marquez’s ability, combined with a team working together with determination, had been decisive.

The points arithmetic gives Marquez a substantial advantage, though the outcome depends in part on Martin’s ability to score. Marquez has 399 points, with Martin on 355 and carrying an unhealed fracture in his right wrist. Across the six remaining races, a maximum of 111 points is available. Even if Martin won every race, Marquez would need 68 more points to secure the championship. If Martin scored nothing in Qatar, Marquez could clinch with at least 31 points—for example, a Grand Prix win and fourth in the sprint, or a sprint win followed by second in the Grand Prix.

Bezzecchi remains mathematically in the running, 67 points behind before the Qatar sprint, but is a long shot. Even if he won all six remaining races, Marquez would need 45 points to take the title. The central concern for the Ducati rider is staying fit and avoiding a forced absence; he cannot afford to coast through the remaining events.

The weekend also comes amid continuing uncertainty in the Middle East. Marquez made clear he would rather be elsewhere, saying: “I would like to be in another place.” He had taken the latest possible flight to Qatar and planned to leave on the earliest one available afterward. “But we are here—ready to race and fully focused,” he added.