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Marquez on Brink of Eighth Title as MotoGP Heads to Qatar Under Shadow of War

Marquez set the pace in FP1 as he seeks a record-equalling eighth MotoGP crown, with Jorge Martin cleared to race after a wrist injury.

  • On Friday at the Losail International Circuit, MotoGP championship leader Marc Marquez topped the opening practice session with a 44-point lead, needing to outscore Aprilia rider Jorge Martin by 30 points to clinch his eighth premier-class title.
  • Martin fractured his wrist at the Australian Grand Prix two weeks prior and withdrew from Malaysia, forcing him to return to Spain for treatment before attempting his comeback at Losail.
  • Yamaha withdrew citing "company-wide travel restrictions" amid regional tensions, while factory Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia stated he "decided to fully trust" organizers' safety measures and that "everything was looking quite normal."
  • Trackhouse Aprilia rider Raul Fernandez and Gresini Ducati's Fermin Aldeguer received medical clearance to race at Losail despite managing hand and finger injuries sustained in Indonesia, demonstrating the physical demands at season's end.
  • Should Marquez fail to clinch on Sunday, the championship battle extends to final rounds in Portimao and Valencia, where he aims to maintain his "management mode" strategy that has defined his 2026 season.
Insights by Ground AI

61 Articles

Right

Marc Márquez has started the GP of Qatar from MotoGP like the previous two, first. So far, nothing new. See the leader of the World Cup at the top of the table of times in the FP1 almost neither is news. The news has starred Jorge Martín Almoguera. With the wrist fractured and still recovering ... Continue reading "Márquez rules in Qatar with a great Jorge Martín in the top 5"

·Madrid, Spain
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Center

In the MotoGP championship, it could happen that we will get the championship title decided this Sunday, three stages before the end of the season. Marc Marquez has the first final ball in Qatar - after the injury of his biggest rival Jorge Martin.

·Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Center

Yamaha absent for security concerns, Martin: 'I'm here to try' (ANSA)

·Rome, Italy
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Lean Right

Jorge Martín has the doctor ok to try to run in Lusail and avoid the tenth title of "93"

·Madrid, Spain
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motorsport broke the news in United States on Sunday, November 1, 2026.
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