Marco Bezzecchi’s MotoGP success but Marc Marquez riding high in title fight
Marco Bezzecchi produced a commanding MotoGP performance to win the Qatar Grand Prix under the lights at Lusail, while Marc Marquez moved to within touching distance of an eighth world title after extending his championship advantage to 60 points with just 74 remaining.
Following a dramatic weekend in Qatar, the MotoGP title fight now heads to Portimao in Portugal with Marquez firmly in control of the championship standings.
The weekend was packed with incident, particularly during Saturday’s Sprint race, which saw Pecco Bagnaia (Lenovo Ducati) wiped out by Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing). The collision brought out the red flags and left Bagnaia with ankle fractures, ruling him out of the remainder of the weekend.
Marquez went on to win the Sprint before securing second place in Sunday's Grand Prix, extending his championship lead over nearest rival Jorge Martin to 60 points.
Martin, meanwhile, rode through the pain barrier, taking third in the Sprint before battling to seventh in Sunday's Grand Prix and keeping his championship hopes alive.
Sunday belonged to Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing), who delivered the perfect response to his Sprint race crash.
The Italian dominated the 22-lap Grand Prix from lights to chequered flag, producing a faultless ride to finish more than three seconds clear of Marquez (Lenovo Ducati).
Raul Fernandez (SuperFile Trackhouse Aprilia), who held second place for much of the race, eventually had to settle for third as Márquez made his move in the closing stages.
Speaking after the race, Bezzecchi said: “It’s amazing. I'm very happy. It was the performance we deserved, and a huge thanks to the whole team and to the Aprilia factory. You know, it's been a fantastic weekend for us. I've been super quick and super comfortable on the bike. A shame about yesterday, but it's part of the game, and to bounce back like this makes everything even better, you know. Now finally we go home a little bit. I can't wait to see my family, my friends, my dog. We rest a bit, and then we move to Portimao.”
Marquez added: “Today I was very confident about my strategy. I just tried to manage the race the first five laps. It doesn't matter if Bezzecchi go away; my race was with Martin. In the end, the position was okay, but I saw that Fernandez was struggling, so you never know. I attacked and gained four points more.”
Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team) was the Moto2 winner, while in the Moto3 class David Almansa (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) took the honours.
Irish rider Casey O’Gorman (SIC58 Squadra Corse Honda) ran as high as 11th before fading in the closing laps to finish outside the points in 18th.