News Summary
- Marc Márquez revealed that his heart rate reached 190 bpm during the closing stages of Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix.
- The Ducati rider said he had not recorded such a high reading for more than ten years and admitted he was physically exhausted.
- His late overtake of Raúl Fernández secured second place and extended his MotoGP championship lead over Jorge Martín to 60 points.
Marc Márquez revealed that his heart rate reached 190 beats per minute during the final stages of the Qatar Grand Prix, highlighting the extraordinary physical effort required to recover to second place and strengthen his position in the 2026 MotoGP championship.
The Ducati rider shared the reading on Instagram after Sunday’s 22-lap race at Lusail, explaining that he had not reached such a level in more than a decade. His final push allowed him to overtake Raúl Fernández for second place with three laps remaining, earning four additional championship points.
“Over 10 years since I last hit this heart rate,” Márquez wrote alongside the reading. “My heart was pounding out of my chest in the last two laps!”
Márquez admits exhaustion after late Qatar charge
Márquez finished 3.083 seconds behind Marco Bezzecchi, who dominated the Qatar Grand Prix from pole position.
The championship leader had lost ground during the opening laps, falling behind Fernández and Pedro Acosta before recovering third place. Bezzecchi was already too far ahead to challenge, but Márquez gradually reduced the gap to Fernández.
The Spaniard explained after the race that he had considered settling for third before recognising an opportunity to gain more points.
“I was completely exhausted in the end, empty, but if you want to fight for the championship you need to give everything and I did it,” Márquez said.
“I had that extra risk to overtake Fernandez and push the last two laps because you never know if you will need those four points.”
The additional effort proved particularly demanding after three consecutive race weekends in Australia, Malaysia and Qatar.
Physical struggles contrast with Márquez’s confidence
Márquez acknowledged that his physical condition had been a concern throughout the Qatar weekend. During Friday practice, he completed short runs rather than remaining on track for extended periods, attempting to conserve energy for the races.
He adopted a similar approach during Sunday’s warm-up, delaying his appearance on track to minimise unnecessary physical exertion.
“On the mental side I feel better than ever – if not it would be impossible to ride as I ride,” Márquez said.
“But physically I was completely exhausted: three races in a row, I was struggling a lot this weekend.”
The contrast between his physical exhaustion and competitive performance was particularly evident on Sunday. Despite being unable to challenge Bezzecchi, Márquez still managed to complete the late overtake that strengthened his championship position.
Márquez approaches title opportunity in Portugal
Márquez leaves Qatar with 431 points, compared with 371 for Jorge Martín and 357 for Bezzecchi. With 74 points still available across Portugal and Valencia, the Ducati rider is now close to securing his eighth premier-class championship.
His Qatar sprint victory and second place in the Grand Prix made him the weekend’s highest scorer, despite missing his first opportunity to clinch the championship.
A victory in the Portuguese sprint would guarantee Márquez the title regardless of his rivals’ results.
The next MotoGP round takes place at Portimão on November 20–22, giving Márquez almost two weeks to recover from the physical demands of Lusail.
GRANDE PRÊMIO is following the 2026 championship and the title battle between Márquez and Martín, with breaking news and updates in its MotoGP section.
