QatarGP: Marquez Survives Bezzecchi Clash to Win Red-Flagged Sprint

Marc Marquez won a chaotic Tissot Sprint at the Qatar Grand Prix on Saturday night, 7 November 2026. He'll start tonight's Grand Prix at the Lusail International Circuit with his first chance to clinch the 2026 MotoGP title.

The track was dry, with the air at 30°C, the track at 33°C and humidity at 61%, compared with 34°C and around 40°C in afternoon qualifying.

The drama started long before the restart. When the lights first went out, Bezzecchi made a fast start from pole and just held off Marquez. Bagnaia briefly got ahead of his team-mate at Turn 2, but Marquez cut back on the exit, and Bagnaia had dropped to fifth by the end of the lap. Martin gained no places from 11th for most of the opening lap. Then, at Turn 16, the final corner, Fermin Aldeguer dived up the inside of Pedro Acosta, braked far too late and hit the back of Bagnaia's Ducati, flicking the Italian high into the air. The red flag came out at 19:05:55, before three laps had been completed, and Bagnaia was carried away on a stretcher. He was conscious and talking when he was taken to the medical centre.

MotoGP Medical Director Angel Charte later confirmed two fractures in Bagnaia's right foot, involving the fourth and fifth metatarsals. The two-time world champion was taken to Doha Hospital for further checks and has been ruled out of tonight's Grand Prix.

Race control announced a new 10-lap race and quick restart. Only 17 bikes lined up, because Yamaha's four riders were already absent and Bagnaia's place on the second row was empty. Tyre choice added another twist. Crash reported that Marquez went against the trend by fitting the soft rear, a gamble Di Giannantonio and Iker Lecuona had also taken for the original start, while Bezzecchi chose the medium. At Lusail last year, the top nine riders used the medium front and rear in both races.

Martin had already passed Di Giannantonio at Turn 2, so Bezzecchi's crash moved him up to second. He then attacked Marquez for the lead at Turn 6, but Marquez took the place back at the next corner. From there, the championship leader eased clear. He set

Behind the podium, Fernandez won his fight with Johann Zarco for fourth, 2.700s behind Marquez. Zarco was the best Honda rider in fifth. Acosta had been part of that battle until the closing stages and beat Ai Ogura to sixth by 0.194s. Enea Bastianini was eighth. Lecuona, the 2026 WorldSBK runner-up who is standing in for Alex Marquez at BK8 Gresini, took the final point in ninth after starting 15th. Diogo Moreira also gained six places, from 16th to 10th, but finished 1.138s outside the points. Aldeguer served both long laps within the first three laps and still recovered to 11th, 0.054s ahead of Brad Binder. Luca Marini, Franco Morbidelli and Maverick Viñales came next, and Jake Dixon was the last of the 16 finishers, 19.373s behind. The top eight were covered by 5.582s.

The Ducati Lenovo Team rider beat Fabio Di Giannantonio by 0.862s in a 10-lap restart, after the original race was red-flagged for a heavy crash involving his team-mate Francesco Bagnaia. Jorge Martin, racing two weeks after breaking his right wrist, climbed from 11th on the grid to finish third, 1.519s behind. Pole-sitter Marco Bezzecchi crashed out early in the restart after contact with Marquez, and the stewards decided no further action was needed. It was Marquez's 25th Sprint win, a record.

The 12 points take Marquez's lead to 49 over Martin and 79 over Bezzecchi. There are 99 points left: 25 in tonight's Grand Prix and 37 at each of the last two rounds, in Portugal and Valencia. If Marquez wins tonight and Martin fails to score, the 33-year-old will be champion. It would be his eighth MotoGP title and his 10th world title overall. That chance exists only because of the final lap. Marquez needed to outscore Martin by at least five points in the Sprint to set up a match point, and he did it by exactly five. If Martin had held on to second, the gap would have been 47 points, and the title couldn't have been decided in Qatar. Di Giannantonio's pass at Turn 2 on the last lap changed that.

Marquez's route to the title tonight is narrow. He must win, and Martin must finish outside the points. With the Yamahas absent and Bagnaia injured, 17 riders are set to start the Grand Prix, and points go down to 15th place. That means Martin will score unless he fails to finish or ends up 16th or 17th. In practice, Marquez needs a win and a retirement or a very bad race for Martin. Marquez starts from the front row, while Martin starts from the fourth row again.

The Grand Prix starts at 19:00 local time tonight, which is midnight in Malaysia. Marquez has the momentum and a 49-point lead, but Martin and Aprilia only need a solid finish to take the fight to Portugal. Saturday's Sprint brought a red flag, a serious injury and a collision that reshaped the title race, and tonight's Grand Prix could be just as dramatic.

Credit Photo : MotoGP