Marco Bezzecchi delivered a sensational performance at Lusail on Sunday, dominating the Qatar MotoGP race to secure another victory for Aprilia. The Italian led every single lap and crossed the finish line 3.083 seconds ahead of Marc Márquez, while Raúl Fernández completed the podium in third. After crashing out of Saturday’s Sprint following his collision with Márquez, Bezzecchi produced the perfect response, taking victory and keeping his championship hopes mathematically alive.
The race began under the floodlights with Bezzecchi making an excellent start from pole position. The Aprilia rider immediately established control at the front, while Márquez initially focused on keeping Jorge Martín behind him rather than taking unnecessary risks. The Ducati star knew that his championship rival was the most important man to beat, but Bezzecchi’s pace quickly became a problem for everyone. The Italian started building a gap and looked determined to forget Saturday’s disappointment.
Behind the leader, Raúl Fernández produced an outstanding performance for Trackhouse Aprilia. The Spaniard maintained an impressive rhythm and remained firmly inside the podium positions, while Martín tried to stay close to the leading group. Márquez, meanwhile, was carefully managing his race, knowing that he had a golden opportunity to secure the world championship if he could win and Martín failed to score.
As the laps went by, Bezzecchi continued to extend his advantage. The Italian was particularly strong through the fast corners of Lusail, making it extremely difficult for Márquez to close the gap. The Ducati rider eventually decided to focus on securing second place rather than risking everything in an attempt to catch the Aprilia. His strategy was also influenced by the championship situation, with Martín still needing to finish outside the points for the title to be decided.
The most interesting battle developed behind the leading duo. Márquez had to work hard to catch Fernández, who was defending third place brilliantly. With just three laps remaining, the Ducati rider finally found an opportunity and completed the overtake, moving into second position. However, Bezzecchi was already more than three seconds ahead, leaving no realistic opportunity to challenge for victory. The Italian crossed the finish line to celebrate an impressive win, completing a remarkable recovery after Saturday’s crash.
Fernández secured third place ahead of teammate Ai Ogura, giving Trackhouse an excellent double podium. Enea Bastianini finished fifth, followed by Pedro Acosta, who struggled with tyre-pressure problems after challenging for the podium earlier in the race. Jorge Martín could only manage seventh, behind Acosta, while Johann Zarco, Fabio Di Giannantonio and Francesco Bagnaia completed the remaining top-ten positions. It was a particularly frustrating afternoon for KTM, which had hoped to challenge much closer to the front.
For Márquez, however, the result means that his championship celebrations will have to wait. He needed victory combined with a non-scoring finish for Martín to secure his eighth premier-class world title in Qatar. Instead, the Spaniard finished second while Martín collected valuable points in seventh. Márquez now leads the championship with 431 points, 60 ahead of Martín, while Bezzecchi remains third with 357. Two rounds remain, and the title fight will continue in Portugal. Bezzecchi may have won the battle in Qatar, but Márquez remains firmly in control of the championship.
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