Márquez Eyes on the Championship
This weekend we go racing at night again at the Lusail international circuit. Marc Márquez arrives in Qatar with his first opportunity to secure the world championship, but it will be an unusual weekend with several riders missing.
Championship battle
Marc Márquez leads the championship standings with 399 points, 44 points ahead of Jorge Martín and 67 points ahead of Marco Bezzecchi. He has the chance to secure his eight Motogp championship this Sunday.
To do this Márquez needs to outscore Jorge Martin by 30 points across the sprint and Grand prix, To eliminate Bezzecchi he needs to outscore him by 8 points unless he wins the race then he needs to outscore him by 7 points.
However, Martín remains a question after his wrist injury , which forced him to miss the Malaysian Grand Prix.
An Unusual Weekend
The Qatar Grand Prix will look a little different this year. Yamaha has announced that neither of its teams will participate this weekend due to travel restrictions and safety concerns surrounding the current situation in the middle east.
Alex Márquez will also miss the race following surgery on his right shoulder, but he will be replaced by Iker Lecuona. Joan mir will also not be racing this weekend and he will be replaced by Jake Dixon.
Lusail International Circuit
The Lusail International circuit is located just outside of Doha and has been on the calendar since 2004. The circuit is 5.38 Km and has 16 corners in total, with 10 right-hand turns and 6 left-hand turns.
Its long 1.068 km main straight provides a lot of opportunities for overtaking. And of course it's a night race, with the race taking place under the floodlights.
Weekend Schedule
All times are in local Qatar time (UTC+3).
Friday, November 6
MotoGP Free Practice 1: 14:45
MotoGP Practice: 19:00
Saturday, November 7
MotoGP Free Practice 2: 14:00
Qualifying 1 & 2: 14:40
Sprint Race: 19:00
Sunday, November 8
Warm-up: 14:40
Grand Prix: 19:00
The 2026 Qatar Grand Prix will be a deciding moment in the 2026 championship. With Márquez hoping to secure another world title and with an unusual grid due to several absences, all eyes will be on Lusail this weekend.
Article Written by Zoë Wokke
