Bezzecchi takes Qatar MotoGP Sprint pole ahead of Marquez

Marco Bezzecchi secured pole position for the Qatar MotoGP Sprint, beating title leader Marc Marquez to the top spot in qualifying. Marquez needs to outscore Aprilia riders Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin to win the 2026 title on Sunday evening, and must outscore Bezzecchi by eight points in Qatar, or seven if the Ducati rider wins the Grand Prix.

Fabio di Giannantonio completes the front row, with Trackhouse riders Raul Fernandez and Ai Ogura either side of Francesco Bagnaia on row two. Martin qualified eleventh, his worst result of the season, and will start between the KTMs of Enea Bastianini and Brad Binder on row four.

Yamaha is not participating in the weekend due to existing company-wide travel restrictions, reducing the grid to 18 riders. HRC replacement rider Jake Dixon lines up 17th for his first MotoGP races since 2021. The Sprint starts at 7:00pm local time.