News Summary

Marco Bezzecchi’s dominant victory at the Qatar Grand Prix and Marc Márquez’s unsuccessful first attempt to secure the 2026 MotoGP title headlined Sunday’s news at Lusail. The Aprilia rider led all 22 laps, while Márquez recovered to second and extended his championship advantage over Jorge Martín.

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The championship leader now holds a 60-point advantage with Portugal and Valencia remaining. Martín’s seventh-place finish kept his hopes alive, while Bezzecchi remains mathematically in contention.

Away from the podium, Francesco Bagnaia’s injury, Luca Marini’s withdrawal and the unusually small starting field dominated the weekend’s other developments.

Here are the main MotoGP stories published by GRANDE PRÊMIO on November 8.

Bezzecchi dominates Qatar GP as Márquez finishes second

Marco Bezzecchi claimed his sixth Grand Prix victory of 2026, controlling the Qatar race from pole position and finishing 3.083 seconds ahead of Marc Márquez. Raúl Fernández completed the podium after losing second place to the Ducati rider with three laps remaining.

The Italian established his advantage during the opening stages and maintained control as Márquez recovered from an early setback. Trackhouse also enjoyed an impressive afternoon, with Fernández third and Ai Ogura fourth, giving Aprilia three motorcycles inside the top four.

Jorge Martín finished seventh after starting 11th, while Pedro Acosta took sixth following an early battle with Márquez. Diogo Moreira retired on lap 16.

Read the full Qatar Grand Prix race report, including the decisive overtakes and final classification.

Márquez takes 60-point championship lead to Portugal

Marc Márquez increased his championship advantage from 49 to 60 points in Qatar, moving to 431 points against Jorge Martín’s 371. Bezzecchi remains third with 357, exactly 74 points behind the leader.

Márquez needed victory and a scoreless race for Martín to secure his eighth premier-class championship on Sunday. Instead, second place earned him 20 points, while Martín collected 9 points in seventh.

With 74 points still available across the final two Grands Prix and their sprint races, the championship moves to Portimão. Ducati also leads Aprilia by just 8 points in the constructors’ standings, while Aprilia Racing has a commanding advantage in the teams’ championship.

See the updated MotoGP riders’, constructors’ and teams’ championship standings after Qatar.

Bagnaia to undergo surgery after Qatar sprint crash

Francesco Bagnaia will undergo surgery in Italy after fracturing two bones in his right foot during Saturday’s sprint at Lusail.

The Ducati rider was struck by Fermín Aldeguer at the final corner, suffering fractures to the fourth and fifth metatarsals. The accident brought out the red flag and prevented Bagnaia from taking part in the restarted race or Sunday’s Grand Prix.

Ducati expects the operation to take place on November 9 or 10. The team has not established a return date, leaving his participation in Portugal and Valencia uncertain.

The full report on Bagnaia’s injury, planned operation and recovery prospects explains the consequences for his final races with Ducati before joining Aprilia in 2027.

Marini withdraws as Honda loses another rider

Luca Marini withdrew from Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix after Honda confirmed that persistent fatigue prevented him from contesting the 22-lap race.

The Italian completed warm-up but had already struggled physically during Saturday’s sprint. Honda decided to prioritise his recovery before the final two championship rounds.

His absence left Jake Dixon as Honda HRC Castrol’s only representative, with the British rider replacing Joan Mir. Johann Zarco and Diogo Moreira continued to represent LCR Honda.

Read why Marini withdrew from the Qatar Grand Prix and how Honda’s line-up was affected.

Qatar stages smallest MotoGP grid in 15 years

Only 16 riders started Sunday’s Grand Prix at Lusail, the smallest MotoGP starting field since the 2011 Valencia Grand Prix.

Yamaha had already withdrawn its factory and Pramac entries because of travel restrictions. Bagnaia’s injury and Marini’s withdrawal subsequently reduced the field from Saturday’s 18 starters to just 16.

The situation also affected the championship calculations, with points available to the first 15 classified riders. Martín ultimately secured seventh place, ensuring that Márquez could not clinch the title in Qatar.

The historical comparison of MotoGP’s smallest grids and the circumstances behind Qatar’s reduced field provides further context.

Márquez’s sprint victory sets up dramatic Qatar finale

Saturday’s sprint had given Márquez his first opportunity to win the championship in Qatar. The Ducati rider won the restarted 10-lap contest after Bezzecchi crashed following contact between the two at Turn 1.

Jorge Martín recovered from 11th on the grid and briefly challenged Márquez for victory, but Fabio Di Giannantonio overtook him on the final lap to secure second place.

That result increased Márquez’s lead to 49 points and created the title scenario that ultimately remained unresolved on Sunday.

Read the complete Qatar sprint report, including Bezzecchi’s crash and Martín’s last-lap defeat.

GRANDE PRÊMIO is following the 2026 MotoGP championship, with the Portuguese Grand Prix scheduled for November 20–22 at Portimão. Full coverage, breaking news and updates are available in its MotoGP section.