MotoGP today: Martín faces Qatar fitness test as Marc Márquez gets first shot at eighth title

News Summary

• Jorge Martín is due to see MotoGP medical director Ángel Charte at 12:15 local time on Friday, ahead of FP1 at Lusail.
• Marc Márquez leads Martín by 44 points and Marco Bezzecchi by 67. Sunday’s Grand Prix is his first chance to clinch an eighth premier-class title.
• Francesco Bagnaia said he was worried about travelling to Qatar and identified the possibility of being stranded if the airport closed as his remaining concern.

MotoGP’s first title-clinching weekend of 2026 begins with a medical appointment. Before the premier class takes to the track at Lusail on Friday, Jorge Martín is due to see Ángel Charte about the wrist he fractured at Phillip Island. Marc Márquez leads him by 44 points and can win the championship on Sunday, but Martín’s ability to race will help determine what the Ducati rider has to do to finish the job.

The two arrived at Thursday’s media day with different questions to answer. Martín had taken his cast off and was trying to judge how much strength had returned. Márquez had the points lead to manage and acknowledged he would rather be elsewhere this weekend. Their Ducati and Aprilia teammates also have roles to play. Marco Bezzecchi can still extend the title fight, while Francesco Bagnaia offered one of the clearest accounts of what was on riders’ minds as they arrived in Qatar.

Martín has his cast off, but Friday will tell him what he can do on the bike

Martín fractured the lower end of his right radius in the Phillip Island sprint and attempted to return six days later in Malaysia. He rode in practice and received medical clearance to continue at Sepang, but withdrew before qualifying because the wrist lacked the strength he needed. He missed both points-scoring races and returned to Spain for treatment before travelling to Qatar.

“The bone is still broken,” Martín told MotoGP’s official channel. The Aprilia rider said his wrist feels stronger than it did in Malaysia, putting it at roughly 50% compared with 20% at Sepang. Those were his own estimates of how it felt. The question is how much of that improvement he can use once he is braking and changing direction on the RS-GP.

Aprilia said Martín is due to see Charte at 12:15 local time on Friday, two and a half hours before FP1. His permission to take part in the opening session has been conditional, and a further review is required before he can continue. Sepang showed how much can still change after a rider gets the initial green light.

What Márquez needs to win the title in Qatar

Martín was 10 points behind Márquez before Malaysia. While he sat out the sprint and Grand Prix, Márquez finished second on Saturday and won on Sunday, adding 34 points to his lead. That swing gives the Ducati rider his first chance to clinch the 2026 title at Lusail, with Portugal and Valencia still to come.

Márquez must outscore Martín by at least 30 points across the sprint and Grand Prix. He also needs to gain seven points on Bezzecchi if he wins on Sunday, or eight if he does not. The difference comes down to the Grand Prix wins countback. Saturday’s sprint offers a maximum of 12 points, so the championship cannot be decided until Sunday.

For Martín, the calculation offers a concrete target. Eight points would keep him in contention even if Márquez wins both races. Eighth on Sunday would do it by itself. If Martín cannot race, Bezzecchi can still keep the championship open. A Márquez victory alone is therefore only one part of the calculation.

Bagnaia explains what still concerns him at Lusail

Bagnaia said he had been worried about travelling to Qatar but decided to trust the championship, the organisers, IRTA and the Qatari government. Once at the circuit, the prospect he singled out was an airport closure that could leave the paddock unable to depart. His teammate Márquez said he would rather be elsewhere as he arrived for a weekend that could end with another championship.

The concern about leaving Qatar is separate from the emergency shelter guidance circulated at Lusail. That document tells paddock personnel what to do if an alert is issued at the circuit, at a hotel or while travelling. The Grand Prix remains on the schedule, with Yamaha’s factory and Pramac teams absent under the manufacturer’s travel restrictions.

The rider line-up has become clearer since the start of the week. Fermín Aldeguer and Raúl Fernández were cleared for the weekend, Iker Lecuona takes Álex Márquez’s place at Gresini and Jake Dixon replaces Joan Mir at Honda. Martín’s review remains the outstanding decision with the biggest bearing on the championship.

What time is Qatar MotoGP practice on Friday?

The premier class opens with FP1 at 14:45 local time on Friday, November 6. The timed Practice session starts at 19:00 in Qatar, with the fastest 10 riders going directly into Q2. In eastern Australia that second session falls on Saturday morning, while New Zealand viewers will see both sessions after midnight.

GRANDE PRÊMIO is following every session of the Qatar Grand Prix in MotoGP.