The Qatar Grand Prix kept the championship contest alive, but the collision between Marc Marquez and Marco Bezzecchi became the weekend’s dominant talking point. The FIM stewards classified the contact as a racing incident rather than assigning blame to either rider. Aprilia takes a different view and considers Marquez responsible.

Marquez won the Qatar sprint and now holds a 60-point advantage over Jorge Martin. Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi won the Grand Prix, a result that kept both of the team’s riders in the title hunt.

Martin produced a determined performance despite his injury problems, denying Marquez the 30 points required to settle the championship in Qatar. The standings therefore remain open, while the stewards’ decision has added another point of friction to a season already marked by several shifts in momentum.

The next decisive opportunity comes in Portugal, where Marquez needs a sprint victory to secure the title. Until then, attention will stay split between the championship table and the opposing interpretations of the contact from Aprilia and the stewards. This year’s fight has delivered plenty of twists, even without the sustained head-to-head conflict seen in some of MotoGP’s biggest title battles.