News Summary
- The 22-lap Qatar Grand Prix starts at 19:00 local time, 16:00 GMT and 11:00 ET at Lusail on Sunday, November 8.
- Marco Bezzecchi, Marc Márquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio share the front row. Jorge Martín qualified 11th, and Francesco Bagnaia will miss the race.
- Márquez clinches his eighth premier-class title if he wins and Martín scores no points. A point for Martín takes the championship to Portugal.
The 2026 Qatar MotoGP race starts at 19:00 local time at Lusail International Circuit on Sunday, November 8. That is 16:00 in the UK, 11:00 in New York and Toronto, 08:00 in Los Angeles and 21:30 in India. The 22-lap Grand Prix takes place under the floodlights, after the Moto3 and Moto2 races.
Marc Márquez starts second with his first chance to wrap up the championship. The Ducati rider won Saturday’s restarted sprint and gained five points on Jorge Martín when Fabio Di Giannantonio passed the Aprilia rider for second on the final lap. That moved Márquez’s lead from 44 to 49 points, just enough to create a title scenario for Sunday.
Qatar MotoGP race start times around the world
| Market | Race start | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Qatar | 19:00 AST | Sunday, November 8 |
| UK and Ireland | 16:00 GMT | Sunday, November 8 |
| US and Canada, Eastern | 11:00 EST | Sunday, November 8 |
| US and Canada, Central | 10:00 CST | Sunday, November 8 |
| US and Canada, Mountain | 09:00 MST | Sunday, November 8 |
| US and Canada, Pacific | 08:00 PST | Sunday, November 8 |
| India | 21:30 IST | Sunday, November 8 |
| Australia, Perth | 00:00 AWST | Monday, November 9 |
| Australia, Brisbane | 02:00 AEST | Monday, November 9 |
| Australia, Adelaide | 02:30 ACDT | Monday, November 9 |
| Australia, Sydney and Melbourne | 03:00 AEDT | Monday, November 9 |
| New Zealand, Auckland and Wellington | 05:00 NZDT | Monday, November 9 |
The main race is at the same hour as Saturday’s sprint. The day’s first premier-class session is warm-up at 14:40 local time. Moto3 races at 16:00 local time, followed by Moto2 at 17:15.
| Sunday session | Lusail (AST) | UK (GMT) | US and Canada East (EST) | India (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MotoGP warm-up | 14:40 | 11:40 | 06:40 | 17:10 |
| Moto3 race · 16 laps | 16:00 | 13:00 | 08:00 | 18:30 |
| Moto2 race · 18 laps | 17:15 | 14:15 | 09:15 | 19:45 |
| MotoGP race · 22 laps | 19:00 | 16:00 | 11:00 | 21:30 |
How to watch the Qatar MotoGP race live
| Market | Where to watch |
|---|---|
| United States | Fox Sports. US listings show FS1 and FOX One. |
| United Kingdom | TNT Sports and HBO Max |
| Canada | Sportsnet lists the Grand Prix. MotoGP VideoPass is the series’ streaming option. |
| India | Eurosport and FanCode |
| Australia | Fox Sports on Foxtel and Kayo Sports |
| New Zealand | MotoGP VideoPass |
MotoGP VideoPass carries live race coverage and replays through the championship’s own platform. The time in the race table is the scheduled start on track. TV listings can include build-up or replays, so their programme times may differ.
Who starts at the front in Qatar?
Marco Bezzecchi took pole with a Lusail record of 1:50.028, beating Márquez by 0.266s. Di Giannantonio completes the front row. The same qualifying session set the order for both races, so Bezzecchi retains pole for the Grand Prix after crashing out of the sprint following contact with Márquez.
Martín qualified 11th and came through to third in the sprint despite the wrist fracture he has been managing since Phillip Island. Sunday’s Grand Prix is more than twice as long as the restarted 10-lap sprint. His first job is to finish in the points, while Márquez needs the win.
Ducati will have one factory rider in the race. Francesco Bagnaia, who qualified fifth, has been ruled out with two fractures in his right foot after the collision with Fermín Aldeguer that stopped the first running of the sprint. His withdrawal reduces the expected field to 17 after Yamaha pulled both of its teams from the Qatar weekend.
What does Marc Márquez need to win the title today?
The championship standings after the sprint have Márquez on 411 points and Martín on 362. A Sunday win would put Márquez on 436. If Martín scores nothing, the gap becomes 74 points, the maximum available across Portugal and Valencia. Márquez holds the tie-break on Grand Prix wins.
That makes 15th place important. It pays one point, enough for Martín to keep the championship open even if Márquez wins. A Ducati win and a scoreless Sunday for Martín are the only combination that clinches the title in Qatar.
GRANDE PRÊMIO is following every session of the Qatar Grand Prix in MotoGP.
FAQ
What time does the Qatar MotoGP race start today?
The race starts at 19:00 local time, 16:00 GMT, 11:00 ET and 21:30 IST on Sunday, November 8. It starts at 03:00 AEDT in Sydney and Melbourne and 05:00 NZDT in Auckland on Monday, November 9.
Who starts on pole for the Qatar MotoGP race?
Marco Bezzecchi starts on pole, with Marc Márquez second and Fabio Di Giannantonio third.
Can Marc Márquez win the MotoGP title in Qatar?
Yes. He must win the Grand Prix and Jorge Martín must score no points. If Martín finishes 15th or higher and scores, the title fight continues in Portugal.
