MARQUEZ RESISTS RISKY TITLE PUSH AFTER QATAR SPRINT WIN

Marc Marquez has a chance to clinch the 2026 MotoGP title at the Qatar Grand Prix, but the Ducati rider says he will not gamble on the championship in Sunday’s race. His Sprint victory, together with injured rival Jorge Martin’s third place, means Marquez could secure a tenth world title—and an eighth premier-class crown to match Giacomo Agostini—if he wins the Grand Prix and Martin scores no points.

“I would like [to win the title at the first opportunity], I cannot lie, but it’s not the day to take that risk,” Marquez told TNT Sports. He said Ducati did not currently have the pace to win the longer race, and pointed to Aprilia’s strength over race distance. “The most important is that today we gained an advantage against both the second- and third-place riders,” he said. “Tomorrow we will try to keep going with the same concentration and the same mentality.”

The Sprint’s defining incident came when Marco Bezzecchi, who had started from pole and was considered a leading contender, tried to pass Marquez and crashed after contact. Marquez had chosen the soft rear tyre, while he expects to face Bezzecchi on a medium in the Grand Prix.

“Marco was faster than me in the practice and in the race,” Marquez said. “He tried to overtake on that Turn 1, I didn’t make anything strange, and just when I had the contact, my airbag deployed, and I did some corners struggling a lot.”

Martin then surprised Marquez by attacking for the lead at Turn 6 on the same lap. “That was not a good surprise!” Marquez said, adding that he had not expected the injured Spaniard to be in that position. After Martin’s move, Marquez decided he needed to take more risks, passed him again and began attacking. Martin later surrendered second place to Fabio di Giannantonio, leaving him third and preserving Marquez’s narrow opportunity to settle the title on Sunday.

Despite the possibility of an early championship celebration, Marquez’s focus is on managing the race rather than forcing a result. He expects a difficult contest and says Aprilia’s long-run speed will be a major factor.