Marco Bezzecchi dominated the Qatar Grand Prix to keep the MotoGP title fight alive, the Aprilia rider leading from start to finish to win his sixth Grand Prix of the season at Lusail on Sunday.
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The Italian, who crashed out of a battle for the lead with Ducati’s Marc Marquez in a contentious clash in the sprint race 24 hours earlier, started from pole and was never headed to cross the line 3.083secs ahead of Marquez after 22 laps, Marquez taking a 60-point lead into the penultimate round of the season in Portugal in two weeks.
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Marquez could have secured an eighth premier-class title had he won in Qatar and nearest title rival Jorge Martin (Aprilia) failed to score, but Martin – riding 15 days after breaking his right wrist in a sprint race crash in Australia – finished seventh, meaning Marquez can win the championship in the Portimao sprint race in a fortnight’s time if he scores two points more than Martin.
Bezzecchi remains in statistical title contention, 74 points behind Marquez with 74 available with two rounds left.
Behind Bezzecchi and Marquez, Aprilia’s Raul Fernandez rounded out the podium, 3.614secs behind the winner after running in second place for 19 of the 22 laps.
“It feels amazing, and it was the performance we deserve,” Bezzecchi, who had never previously finished better than ninth in Qatar, said.
“It’s been a fantastic weekend for us and I’ve been super quick, comfortable on the bike. It’s a shame for yesterday, but it’s part of the game, so to bounce back like this makes it even better.”
After Saturday’s explosive sprint, Sunday’s Grand Prix was a more muted affair, Bezzecchi bolting to the lead at the first corner and building his advantage to over one second for the first time on lap seven.
Fernandez went with Bezzecchi early as Marquez diced with KTM’s Pedro Acosta for third, but Fernandez began to wilt as he recovers from two broken fingers after his crash in the Indonesian Grand Prix last month, Marquez breezing by into the first corner with three laps left.
Martin, who attacked brilliantly in the sprint to finish third on Saturday, was more circumspect in the Grand Prix from 11th on the grid, passing Ducati’s Fabio Di Giannantonio for seventh on lap 11 and staying there to finish 14.023secs behind Bezzecchi and keep his statistically-slim title hopes alive.
The 21st round of the 22-round MotoGP season will take place at Portimao in Portugal from November 20-22.