Marquez on brink of eighth title as MotoGP heads to Qatar under shadow of war

Marc Marquez finds himself just short of a historic eighth MotoGP crown in Qatar this weekend. The Ducati rider leads the premier class title race with 399 points, needing to outscore his Spanish teammate Jorge Martin by just 30 points at the Lusail International Circuit. If Marquez succeeds, Martin, sitting on 355 points, will be unable to overtake him in the remaining races in Portugal and Valencia, even if he scores the maximum 74 points, while Marquez collects none.

Marquez's chances are further boosted by the fact that Martin has been sidelined since breaking his right wrist in Australia. Despite attempts to race in Malaysia, the 2024 champion had to withdraw before the sprint race. Martin's prospects appear bleak, as his fracture typically takes five weeks to heal. His Aprilia teammate Marco Bezzecchi, currently third with 332 points, could also pose a challenge if Marquez fails to secure an eight-point lead in Doha.

Further down the standings, 12th-placed Brad Binder aims to overtake his teammate Fermin Aldegeur, who is seven points ahead with 125 points. Aldegeur is hoping to return from a hand fracture sustained four rounds ago in Indonesia. For Binder, this will be his third-last MotoGP event before transitioning to the World Superbike Championship next year.

Ruché Moodley, a teenager with just one point in Moto3, also hopes for a strong finish to the season. The Moto3 race starts at 3pm on Sunday, alongside the MotoGP sprint and main events at 6pm respectively.