Luca Marini out of Qatar MotoGP
Qatar MotoGP grid reduced to just 16 riders.
Tonight's Qatar MotoGP race will feature just 16 riders after HRC's Luca Marini withdrew following morning warm-up.
A HRC statement read: 'Due to his ongoing state of fatigue, Luca Marini and the Honda HRC Castrol team have elected to withdraw him from the Qatar GP to focus on the final two rounds of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship.'
Marini, who missed Phillip Island due to a virus before returning last weekend in Malaysia, qualified 14th in Qatar and finished 13th in the Sprint.
The Italian's team-mate Joan Mir is already absent this weekend due to fatigue-related vision issues, which reappeared on his comeback at Sepang.
Mir is being replaced by Jake Dixon.
Marini joins Ducati's Pecco Bagnaia, injured in the Sprint, in withdrawing from the Grand Prix.
Yamaha is not participating this weekend due to company-wide travel restrictions for the Middle East, meaning only 18 riders began the event.
Maverick Vinales had cast doubt on his race-day attendance after continuing to struggle with his shoulder
However, the Tech3 rider remains officially listed for the grand prix, which he will start from last place.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
