Lusail, Qatar, November 9, 2026: Marco Bezzecchi bounced back from his Saturday Sprint crash to secure a commanding victory at the Qatar MotoGP Grand Prix, while Marc Marquez finished second to strengthen his grip on the 2026 MotoGP World Championship. Raul Fernandez completed the podium despite racing with two broken fingers, as the title battle heads to Portugal.

Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) produced a remarkable recovery to win the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar, keeping his 2026 MotoGP World Championship ambitions alive with a commanding performance under the floodlights at Lusail International Circuit.

The Italian, who crashed out of Saturday’s Tissot Sprint, led from start to finish on Sunday to claim his 12th MotoGP victory and collect 25 valuable championship points. However, the bigger story in the title race was Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team), who finished second to extend his championship advantage and move another step closer to retaining his crown.

Raul Fernandez (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team) secured third place after an impressive performance, despite continuing to battle the effects of two broken fingers in his right hand. It was the Spaniard’s sixth Grand Prix podium of the 2026 campaign.

Bezzecchi leads from the front as Fernandez challenges Marquez

Bezzecchi made an excellent start from pole position, holding on to the lead into Turn 1. However, Fernandez immediately made his intentions clear, overtaking Marquez to move into second place and push the championship leader down to third.

Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing), meanwhile, made a promising start from 11th on the grid, briefly moving up to eighth before Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) reclaimed the position.

By Lap 3, the Aprilia duo of Bezzecchi and Fernandez had established a lead of more than 1.5 seconds over Marquez. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was putting the Ducati rider under pressure and eventually overtook him at Turn 15 to claim third.

However, Acosta appeared to encounter tyre pressure issues, allowing Marquez to regain the position on Lap 6. The Spaniard subsequently settled into third, with Acosta following closely behind.

At the halfway stage of the 22-lap race, Bezzecchi led Fernandez by 1.2 seconds, while Marquez and Acosta were almost four seconds behind the leader. Further back, Martin was gradually making progress, climbing to seventh as Di Giannantonio struggled for pace.

Marquez overtakes Fernandez to secure second place

With the race entering its decisive phase, Marquez began increasing the pressure. On Lap 14, the championship leader recorded the fastest lap of the race with a 1:52.558, demonstrating that he had considerably more pace in reserve.

The Ducati rider gradually closed the gap to Fernandez, whose pace had initially kept Marquez at bay. With four laps remaining, the Spaniard was firmly within striking distance of second place.

Marquez eventually made his move on the run out of the final corner, overtaking Fernandez to claim second and provisionally secure four additional championship points.

Bezzecchi, meanwhile, had built a comfortable advantage and began the final lap 3.6 seconds clear of Marquez. The Italian maintained his composure to take the chequered flag and complete a memorable comeback following his Sprint disappointment.

Marquez held off Fernandez to secure second, collecting 20 points and further strengthening his championship position.

Raul Fernandez and Jorge Martin deliver impressive performances

Fernandez deserves considerable credit for his performance at Lusail. Racing with two broken fingers in his right hand, the Trackhouse Aprilia rider stayed in contention throughout the race and ultimately secured another podium finish.

Martin also delivered an impressive performance despite his recent injury troubles. Just two weeks after fracturing his wrist at the Australian Grand Prix, the 2024 MotoGP World Champion finished seventh after starting 11th.

The Spaniard had already demonstrated his determination with a Sprint podium on Saturday and added another nine points on Sunday to remain in the championship fight.

Ai Ogura finished fourth, narrowly missing out on a podium, while Enea Bastianini led the KTM charge in fifth. Acosta had to settle for sixth after appearing to struggle with tyre pressure warnings during the race.

Martin finished seventh ahead of Di Giannantonio, who endured a difficult afternoon despite starting from the front row. Johann Zarco and Iker Lecuona, standing in for the injured Alex Marquez at BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP, completed the top 10.

Franco Morbidelli, Fermin Aldeguer, Maverick Viñales and Jake Dixon also collected championship points. Dixon, standing in for Joan Mir at Honda HRC Castrol, secured 14th place to score his first MotoGP points.

Diogo Moreira and Brad Binder were forced to retire with technical problems.

MotoGP 2026 title race heads to Portugal

The Qatar Grand Prix has set up an intriguing penultimate round of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship at Portimao, Portugal.

Marquez now holds a 60-point advantage over Martin, while Bezzecchi trails the championship leader by 74 points. With only 74 points remaining in the season, the Italian has kept his mathematical title hopes alive, but Marquez is firmly in control of the championship.

The Portuguese Grand Prix could prove decisive. Marquez needs to win the Sprint race at Portimao to secure the 2026 MotoGP World Championship, potentially clinching his eighth premier-class world title before the final Grand Prix of the season.

For Ducati and Marquez, the objective is now clear: convert their championship advantage into another world title. For Aprilia, Bezzecchi and Martin will need exceptional performances at Portimao to keep the fight alive.

After an eventful weekend in Qatar, the MotoGP championship heads to Portugal for what promises to be a thrilling penultimate round.