Bezzecchi wins Qatar Grand Prix and delays Marquez’s title — Al Jazeera

Italian Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi won the MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix in Lusail, while Spain’s Marc Marquez of Ducati finished second. The result delayed Marquez’s chance to win his eighth premier-class title by at least two weeks, Al Jazeera reports.

Bezzecchi’s victory

Bezzecchi started from pole position and secured his sixth Grand Prix victory of the season. On Saturday, he retired from the sprint race after crashing while trying to overtake Marquez, but won the main race the following day.

After the finish, the Italian said the team deserved this result. He also noted that he had felt fast and comfortable on the bike throughout the weekend, while returning to the fight after Saturday’s crash made the victory even more important.

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Title battle

Before Sunday’s race, Marquez, who won the sprint, could have sealed the title if his closest rival Jorge Martin had failed to score points. Martin, racing for the first time after fracturing his right wrist, finished seventh and retained his championship chances.

With two race weekends remaining in the season, Martin trails Marquez by 60 points. Bezzecchi, who is third in the overall standings, cut the gap to the leader to 74 points — the same number of points still available. Under these conditions, the Italian has virtually no chance of winning his first title.

Marquez can win a record eighth premier-class title in the Portimao sprint in two weeks if he finishes two points ahead of Martin. Raul Fernandez took third place at the Qatar Grand Prix. Marquez explained that at the start of the race he tried to preserve the front tyre, then attacked after seeing Fernandez struggle.