Marc Márquez won the 10-lap Qatar Sprint for the Ducati Lenovo Team and secured the first match point of the 2026 MotoGP Riders’ Championship for the following race. The Lusail contest was interrupted by a red flag and resumed with a restart, setting up a decisive change in the fight at the front.

Márquez had qualified second on the grid and moved into the lead when the race resumed. He kept Marco Bezzecchi behind him first, then resisted pressure from Jorge Martín. A run of fastest laps in the closing stages opened a gap and allowed the Ducati rider to reach the finish without being challenged. Fabio Di Giannantonio took second on the VR46 Racing Team Ducati.

Bagnaia injured in the opening laps

Francesco Bagnaia was running fourth when contact with another rider on lap two triggered a highside and ended his Sprint. The crash brought out the red flag. Ducati says Bagnaia suffered fractures to the fourth and fifth metatarsals of his right foot and will fly back to Italy for surgery. His recovery will be monitored to assess whether a return is possible.

The following day’s schedule places warm-up at 14:40 and the Qatar Grand Prix at 19:00 local time, with the circuit operating on GMT +3. The main race is set for 22 laps, while Márquez arrives with the first opportunity to secure the 2026 title.