Márquez can clinch MotoGP title in Qatar only with Martín pointless

Marc Márquez secured his first championship match point of the 2026 season by winning the Qatar Sprint, a race also remembered for a collision that sent Marco Bezzecchi crashing. The Ducati rider now leads Jorge Martín by 49 points and Bezzecchi by 79, with the Italian virtually out of the title race.

With 99 points still available, Márquez could be crowned champion in Qatar, but only by winning the Grand Prix and hoping Martín fails to score a single point. Because the Yamaha team is absent, only 18 riders are competing, and the top 15 finishers take points, making that outcome highly unlikely. The title is therefore more likely to be decided at Portimão, the penultimate round before Valencia.

A title would be historic for Márquez, who has recovered from a deficit of more than 100 points. An eighth premier-class crown would draw him level with Giacomo Agostini and surpass Valentino Rossi's seven titles.