MARTIN’S QATAR CHARGE KEEPS MARQUEZ’S TITLE CELEBRATION ON HOLD

Marc Marquez left Qatar with a 60-point championship lead and the title within reach, but Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi ensured his coronation would have to wait. Marquez won Saturday’s sprint and finished second in Sunday’s grand prix, where Bezzecchi took a commanding victory. The result means Marquez could clinch the championship in Portugal, potentially as early as the sprint, though the outcome depends on how the Aprilia riders score. Portimao is one of the few circuits where Marquez has never won, and his physical condition could make the weekend demanding.

A title in 2026 would be remarkable: Marquez has recovered from a 102-point deficit while dealing with injury problems. He has won seven grands prix and 10 sprints this season. Yet Martin’s sustained challenge has made this a closer contest than many of Marquez’s previous title campaigns. The Aprilia rider kept the gap tight when his bike had the advantage and Marquez’s fitness limited him, and remained in contention until his wrist injury disrupted his season.

Martin’s Qatar weekend showed why he has been Marquez’s strongest challenger. Starting 11th in the sprint, he charged forward to briefly lead and finished on the podium, then took seventh in the grand prix. He said he had been unsure on Tuesday whether he would even travel to Qatar, so the results left him “really, really happy.” He regretted qualifying so far back, believing a better grid position might have allowed him to fight for the top five or a podium. Looking ahead to Portugal, he said he would focus on becoming “more competitive.” Martin has also said the championship is no longer his concern; he wants to finish his time with Aprilia strongly.

Bezzecchi also postponed Marquez’s title celebration with a dominant Sunday ride. Starting from pole, he led throughout and finished more than three seconds clear, while Marquez’s second place prevented him from clinching the crown. The victory followed a sprint collision between the pair: Bezzecchi attempted to pass at Turn 1, contact sent him crashing, and Marquez stayed upright to win. Stewards ruled it a racing incident. Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola criticised the decision, but the incident was not penalised.

Bezzecchi’s Qatar performance added to a season of missed opportunities. He has six grand prix wins, one fewer than Marquez, and remains mathematically in the title fight, but would need to win the four remaining races while Marquez scores nothing. He called that prospect “a miracle,” adding, “there have been no miracles for me” this season. His sprint crash was another costly error, though he responded with a superb grand prix win.

Qatar was also a troubled weekend for MotoGP. Only 16 riders started, Yamaha was absent amid a dispute over safety concerns about racing in the region, and Pedro Acosta’s podium hopes were ended by a tyre-pressure issue. The consequences for Yamaha and its riders remain unresolved. Against that backdrop, Martin’s and Bezzecchi’s performances gave the championship fight a more fitting pause before the likely conclusion in Portugal.