16:16
Lap 7/22
Marquez still with Acosta all over him as he manages the tyre pressure. 3s from Marquez up to Fernandez, who is almost a second behind Bezzecchi now.
Acosta and Marquez are at the front of a group that goes back to Zarco in ninth.
Marco Bezzecchi, 2026 MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix. Credit: Gold and Goose.
© Gold & Goose
LIVE
Qatar MotoGP LIVE: Reaction after Bezzecchi beats Marquez in Lusail
Live updates from the 2026 Qatar MotoGP race at the Lusail International Circuit, where Marc Marquez could win the title.
Live coverage of the 2026 Qatar MotoGP race in Lusail, where Marc Marquez has a mathematical chance to win the title. The race is due to start at 19:00 local time.
Key Moments
- Martin keeps title race alive with P7
- Bezzecchi wins from Marquez, Fernandez
- Moreira, Binder retire
- Bezzecchi leads early as Marquez drops to third
- Holgado wins Moto2 race as title contender Guevara retires
Marco Bezzecchi starts on pole position today ad must out-score Marc Marquez by five points in order to keep himself mathematically in the title race after his DNF in the Sprint yesterday.
Marquez starts second and can win the title if he ends the race 75 points ahead of Bezzecchi and 74 points ahead of Jorge Martin, who starts 11th but was third in the Sprint. Any points for Martin will keep the title race alive heading to Portimao in a couple of weeks.
A win for Marquez today would be his third premier class victory in Qatar and second in a row after his 2025 success, while it would also be his eighth grand prix win of the season and 107th in total.
Fabio Di Giannantonio proved to have strong pace yesterday to finish second, and topped Warm Up this morning. He completes the front row of the grid this afternoon and won his first premier class race at Lusail back in 2023.
There's no Francesco Bagnaia on the grid for today's race after breaking two bones in his foot in his Sprint crash with Fermin Aldeguer yesterday.
Maverick Vinales is also a doubt for today, having suggested yesterday he could withdraw from the weekend, although he did ride in Warm Up and was 12th-fastest. Luca Marini was slowest in Warm Up and has since withdrawn from the weekend due to ongoing illness.
08 Nov 2026
16:13
Marquez back to third
Acosta lets Marquez through on lap six at turn two, probably tyre pressure. Got to love it...
16:09
Lap 3/22
Bezzecchi continues to lead as Marquez drops to fourth at turn 15 on lap three. Acosta 2.5s off the lead as Bezzecchi sets the fastest lap.
16:06
Who that battle for fourth is not good for is Di Giannantonio, who is down in eighth from third on the grid, and Martin - they're falling back from the podium battle.
16:05
Zarco vs Ogura at turn one somehow sees Acosta pass the pair of them to take fourth. That's given Marquez a small advantage.
16:04
Lap 1/22
Great first lap from Bezzecchi, but he's got Fernandez all over him. They're a second or so clear of Marquez, who has Ogura all over him.
16:03
Two places gained for Martin - he's eighth.
16:03
Race start
It's lights out in Lusail and we're underway for this 22-lap Qatar Grand Prix.
Holeshot for Bezzecchi who closes the inside on Marquez. Fernandez aggressively up to second at turn two.
16:00
Warm-up lap
Riders are off on their warm-up lap in Lusail ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix.
15:52
National anthem ceremony currently taking place on the grid in Qatar. Under 10 minutes before we get underway for round 20.
15:45
Conditions & tyres
Almost 7pm in Qatar but still 31C air and 34C track temperature. Everyone on medium-medium tyres, unsurprisingly. 15 minutes until lights out.
15:42
Aprilia boss critical of MotoGP stewards after Marquez/Bezzecchi crash in Qatar
Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola says his view on the Marquez/Bezzecchi clash is unchanged.
Aprilia boss critical of MotoGP stewards after Marquez/Bezzecchi crash in Qatar
Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing, 2026 Qatar MotoGP
© Gold and Goose
15:39
Grid
Very depleted grid today - only 16 riders - with Marini's and Bagnaia's respective withdrawals added to Yamaha's absence.
Here's the starting order for Qatar with Bezzecchi on pole from Marquez and Di Giannantonio.
| 1 | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | Aprilia Racing | Aprilia RS-GP |
| 2 | Marc Marquez | ESP | Ducati Lenovo Team | Ducati GP26 |
| 3 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | ITA | Pertamina Enduro VR46 | Ducati GP26 |
| 4 | Raul Fernandez | ESP | Trackhouse Racing | Aprilia RS-GP |
| 5 | Ai Ogura | JPN | Trackhouse Racing | Aprilia RS-GP |
| 6 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Castrol Honda LCR | Honda RC213V |
| 7 | Pedro Acosta | ESP | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM RC16 |
| 8 | Fermin Aldeguer | ESP | Gresini Racing | Ducati GP25 |
| 9 | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Red Bull KTM Tech3 | KTM RC16 |
| 10 | Jorge Martin | ESP | Aprilia Racing | Aprilia RS-GP |
| 11 | Brad Binder | RSA | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM RC16 |
| 12 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Pertamina Enduro VR46 | Ducati GP25 |
| 13 | Iker Lecuona | ESP | Gresini Racing | Ducati GP26 |
| 14 | Diogo Moreira | BRA | Pro Honda LCR | Honda RC213V |
| 15 | Jake Dixon | GBR | Honda HRC Castrol | Honda RC213V |
| 16 | Maverick Vinales | ESP | Red Bull KTM Tech3 | KTM RC16 |
15:35
Sighting lap
Pit lane is open in Lusail and the riders are heading out on their sighting lap ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix.
15:22
Marquez title permutations
Marc Marquez could clinch his 10th world title and eighth in MotoGP today.
You can check out all of the permutations that would make that happen here.
Marc Marquez, Ducati Corse, 2026 Qatar MotoGP
© Gold and Goose
15:12
MotoGP 50 minutes away now and we'll have only 16 riders on the grid after Francesco Bagnaia broke his foot yesterday and Luca Marini withdrew with illness. They add to the four Yamaha absences that were announced last week in Sepang.
Bagnaia will undergo surgery on his foot after yesterday's crash and he has no return timeline as yet with only two races of his factory Ducati career remaining. Full story here.
Pecco Bagnaia, Ducati Corse, 2026 Qatar MotoGP
© Gold and Goose
14:54
Holgado wins Moto2 race
It's victory for Holgado in the Moto2 race in Qatar. Ortola beats Escrig on the run to the line for second.
Gonzalez crosses the line sixth for 10 points that could prove vital in the title race with Guevara.
14:50
Gino Borsoi tells MotoGP.com that it was an engine problem for Guevara and that Guevara's engine had been slow from the start of the weekend.
14:48
Guevara back in the pits now, but he's not going to lose much ground in the championship with Gonzalez only sixth.
Holgado taking off with the win - he's 1.4s clear of Escrig with three laps to go.
14:44
Guevara hits problems
Holgado takes the lead at the beginning of lap 14 as Gonzalez is coming under from increasing pressure from Munoz, butt Guevara is cruising! It looks like he has bike problems.
14:36
Guevara back to 10th now while Gonzalez has dropped to fifth.
At the front, Alex Escrig leads from Dani Holgado and David Alonso. Ortola closing down the front three as well.
14:29
The race is going away from Guevara: Gonzalez up to fourth now as the Pramac rider has dropped to ninth. If the race ended like this there'd be 9.5 points between them with two rounds to go.
14:23
3.5 points separate Gonzalez from Guevara in the championship, and they're now only two bikes apart - Gonzalez fifth, Guevara seventh at the beginning of lap three.
14:19
Moto2 race start
The Moto2 race is underway in Qatar and it's Escrig with the holeshot from pole. Veijer down at the first corner with contact with Vietti.
Decent start from Gonzalez, P3 early on.
14:09
Warm Up Result
2026 motogp qatar grand prix - warm up result
Fabio di Giannantonio, 2026 Qatar MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose