News Summary
- Marc Márquez says he has the speed to fight for the championship without team orders.
- The Ducati rider defended Álex Márquez’s approach in Malaysia, saying his brother had raced in his own interests and managed the risks.
- Álex is absent in Qatar after surgery, with Iker Lecuona taking his place at Gresini. Marc’s first chance to secure the title comes on Sunday.
Marc Márquez defended the way his brother Álex Márquez raced in Malaysia and said he does not need other Ducati riders to make way for him as he closes in on the MotoGP title. The factory Ducati rider arrived in Qatar 44 points clear of Jorge Martín, with his first chance to clinch the championship coming in Sunday’s Grand Prix.
“When you have the speed, you don’t need wingmen or team orders,” Marc said in Lusail.
Marc pointed to Álex’s performances in the second half of the season, particularly given his physical condition in recent races. He said Álex had looked after his own interests in Malaysia and judged how much risk to take.
“That’s what brothers are for,” he added.
Why Marc brought up Malaysia
For Marc, there is a difference between asking another rider to give up a position and expecting a brother to think twice about a risky move. He said it made little sense to throw a bike up the inside of a sibling fighting for a championship just to see what happened, especially when both ride Ducatis. He joked that a brother who did that would owe the other one a phone call and an apology.
The distinction matters at Lusail because Álex will miss the Qatar Grand Prix. The Gresini rider underwent surgery on his right shoulder and left hand after Malaysia. Iker Lecuona takes his place this weekend, with Álex targeting a return in Portugal.
Marc still has plenty of Ducati opposition in Qatar. Fabio Di Giannantonio took the outright Lusail lap record on Friday night, beating Marc by 0.142s in the session that decided direct entry to Q2. Marc had led FP1 and recovered to second in the evening after his chain broke. Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi finished third.
Martín can make Márquez wait
Marc needs to outscore Martín by at least 30 points across the sprint and Grand Prix and end Bezzecchi’s title chances as well. Saturday’s sprint can move him closer, but even a win leaves the championship open until Sunday.
Martín gave himself a chance to score on both days by reaching Q2 on his return from a fractured right wrist. He needs 8 points across the weekend to keep the championship alive even if Marc wins both races. Eighth in the Grand Prix alone would do it.
That leaves Marc with two jobs at Lusail. He has to beat riders such as Di Giannantonio and Bezzecchi at the front, then see whether the points he takes are enough to put Martín out of reach.
GRANDE PRÊMIO is following every session of the Qatar Grand Prix in MotoGP.
