The Qatar Grand Prix is round 20 of the 2026 MotoGP season, and Lusail welcomes Marc Márquez with his first match point for the riders’ World Championship. Márquez leads the standings on 399 points, while Ducati tops the constructors’ classification with 537, with three races remaining. The weekend follows his victory at Sepang, the 80th of his premier-class career, after he had finished second in Saturday’s Sprint.

Ducati arrives with a substantial record at Lusail: the Desmosedici GP has nine overall victories in Qatar. Casey Stoner delivered three of them in succession, in 2007, 2008 and 2009. The factory team returned to the top step in 2024 with Pecco Bagnaia and repeated the result in 2025 with Márquez. The Spaniard also won last year’s Sprint, took pole position and set the fastest lap of the Grand Prix. Francesco Bagnaia and Franco Morbidelli completed the main-race podium.

Lusail’s layout and Ducati’s riders

Lusail measures 5.38 km and has 16 corners, including 10 right-handers and six left-handers. The Sprint is scheduled for 11 laps and the Grand Prix for 22. The circuit record stands at 1:50.499, set by Márquez on a Ducati in 2025. The highest recorded speed is 362.4 km/h, achieved by Johann Zarco on a Ducati in 2021.

Márquez approaches Qatar cautiously. He has described the circuit as difficult for him and not one of his favourites, although last year showed that he could be highly competitive there. His stated plan is to work one day at a time, avoid mistakes and give his best in Sunday’s race. The combination of a title opportunity and a circuit that has not always suited him makes this a significant weekend for the championship leader.

Bagnaia also expects a demanding visit. He has called Qatar a tough track at this late stage of the season, while pointing to the Desmosedici GP’s traditionally strong performance there. The Italian comes to Lusail after sixth place in the Sepang Sprint and is working to close the gap to the leading group. He is ninth in the riders’ standings with 173 points, while Ducati Lenovo Team is second in the teams’ classification on 572.

Márquez has 106 Grand Prix wins and nine World Championships; Bagnaia has 41 wins and three titles. Those figures frame the two different objectives in Qatar: Márquez has the first opportunity to fight for the riders’ crown, while Ducati arrives with the lead in the constructors’ championship to defend across the remaining rounds.