Marc Marquez has his first opportunity to secure an eighth premier-class MotoGP championship at the Qatar Grand Prix, starting from second place at Lusail International Circuit. The race is scheduled for 19:00 local time, or 16:00 GMT, with the title outcome dependent on the gaps to Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin.

Marquez needs to finish 75 points ahead of Bezzecchi and 74 points ahead of Martin to clinch the championship in Qatar. Bezzecchi starts from pole position after his Sprint retirement and must score at least five points more than Marquez to keep his own mathematical hopes alive. Martin will start 11th, but his third-place Sprint finish means that any points in the Grand Prix would extend the title fight to Portimao in a couple of weeks.

A win would give Marquez his third premier-class victory in Qatar and his second consecutive success at Lusail after the 2025 race. It would also be his eighth Grand Prix victory of the season and the 107th of his career. Fabio Di Giannantonio completes the front row after taking second in the Sprint and setting the fastest time in Warm Up. Lusail is already significant in his career: it was the circuit where he claimed his first premier-class victory in 2023.

Bagnaia absent, Vinales still uncertain

Francesco Bagnaia will not start the Grand Prix after breaking two bones in his foot during his Sprint crash with Fermin Aldeguer. Maverick Vinales remained a doubt for the race after indicating that he might withdraw from the weekend, although he did take part in Warm Up and set the 12th-fastest time.

Luca Marini has withdrawn from the Qatar weekend because of ongoing illness problems. His absence leaves Jake Dixon as the only factory Honda rider on the grid for the Grand Prix.

Holgado takes Moto2 victory

Dani Holgado won the Moto2 race in Qatar, with Ortola taking second after beating Alex Escrig to the line. Escrig had started from pole and led the opening phase, while Holgado later moved to the front at the beginning of lap 14. With three laps remaining, Holgado held a 1.4-second advantage over Escrig.

Collin Veijer’s race ended at the first corner after contact with Celestino Vietti. David Gonzalez finished sixth to score 10 points in his championship contest with Izan Guevara. The battle moved repeatedly during the race: Gonzalez and Guevara were separated by 3.5 points in the championship early on, while a later projected finish would have left 9.5 points between them with two rounds remaining.

Guevara’s race was compromised by an engine problem. Gino Borsoi said the engine had been slow from the beginning of the weekend, with Guevara dropping back during the race as Gonzalez advanced. The Moto2 result sets the stage for the evening’s main event, where Marquez can end the premier-class title fight, while Bezzecchi and Martin still have defined mathematical routes to keep it alive.