Marco Bezzecchi took victory in the 2026 Qatar MotoGP at Lusail International Circuit, denying Marc Marquez an early opportunity to secure the MotoGP world championship with two rounds remaining in the season. The Aprilia rider led all 22 laps to claim his sixth Grand Prix victory of the season, finishing 3.083 seconds ahead of Marquez on the Ducati Lenovo Team machine while Trackhouse Aprilia rider Raul Fernandez completed the podium in third.
Marquez had entered the Qatar weekend with the opportunity to wrap up the championship, having won Saturday’s sprint race. However, his second-place finish meant the title battle will continue to the Portuguese Grand Prix at Portimao, followed by the season finale in Valencia. The Spaniard now leads the riders’ championship with 431 points, 60 ahead of Aprilia’s Jorge Martin on 371 points. Bezzecchi sits third with 357 points, 74 behind the championship leader.
