News Summary
- The Qatar GP is set for MotoGP’s smallest starting field in 15 years after Luca Marini withdrew on Sunday.
- Yamaha’s two teams had already taken four bikes out of the field. Francesco Bagnaia was ruled out after his sprint crash, and Honda withdrew Marini because of persistent fatigue.
- The smaller field has a bearing on Marc Márquez’s first title chance. He must win and Jorge Martín must score no points. Fifteenth place pays one point.
The Qatar GP is set to have MotoGP’s smallest starting grid in 15 years after Luca Marini pulled out of Sunday’s race at Lusail. Eighteen riders took part in Saturday’s sprint. With Francesco Bagnaia ruled out following his crash and Marini withdrawing after Sunday’s warm-up, a maximum of 16 can take the start of the Grand Prix.
The last MotoGP race to begin with 16 riders or fewer was the Valencia GP on November 6, 2011. Casey Stoner won that day by 0.015s from Ben Spies. Twelve riders finished, with four retiring in a first-corner accident.
How the Qatar GP field dropped from 22 bikes to 16
The first four places disappeared before the paddock arrived. Yamaha withdrew its factory and Pramac teams under company-wide travel restrictions, leaving 18 bikes. Two other absences were covered by replacements. Iker Lecuona took Álex Márquez’s seat at Gresini and Jake Dixon stepped in for Joan Mir at Honda HRC Castrol.
The field fell to 17 after Bagnaia fractured the fourth and fifth metatarsals in his right foot when Fermín Aldeguer hit the rear of his Ducati during Saturday’s sprint. Ducati ruled him out of Sunday’s race and confirmed he would return to Italy for surgery.
Marini’s withdrawal took away another bike. He had finished 13th in the sprint and completed Sunday’s warm-up, but Honda cited persistent fatigue in announcing the decision. Dixon is now the only rider left in the factory Honda line-up. Márquez is the sole factory Ducati rider.
The last comparable MotoGP grids
| Grand Prix | Riders at the original start | Riders who finished |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 Australian GP | 14 | 10 |
| 2011 Valencia GP | 16 | 12 |
| 2023 Argentine GP | 17 | 17 |
| 2025 German GP | 18 | 10 |
| 2026 Qatar GP | Up to 16 expected | Race pending |
The comparison counts riders who took the original start of the main race, including those who retired before completing a lap. Valencia also had 16 riders at the restart in 2018, after rain brought out the red flag, but 24 had taken the original start. The Australian GP in 2011 remains a smaller field than the one expected at Lusail, with only 14 starters at Phillip Island.
Why the smaller grid matters for Márquez and Martín
Márquez starts second behind Marco Bezzecchi and leads Martín by 49 points after winning the sprint. To clinch his eighth premier-class title in Qatar, he must win Sunday’s Grand Prix and Martín must leave without a point.
MotoGP awards points to the first 15 classified riders. If all 16 expected starters are classified, only one will finish outside the points. For Martín, who finished third in the sprint while managing a wrist fracture, 15th place would be enough to take the title fight to Portugal even if Márquez wins.
GRANDE PRÊMIO is following every session of the Qatar GP in MotoGP.
