Return to Lusail glory: Marc Marquez wins Qatar sprint, regains Championship lead

Lusail: Eleven years after claiming his only Qatar MotoGP title, Marc Marquez yesterday returned to the top of the podium at Lusail International Circuit, delivering a flawless performance to win the sprint race and reclaim the lead in the World Championship standings.

That memorable 2014 victory – where a rising Marc Marquez outpaced the legendary Valentino Rossi in a classic showdown – remains one of the standout moments in the history of Lusail, a venue that has been hosting MotoGP since 2004. Since then, however, the Spaniard has faced challenges at the circuit, with his best result a podium finish in 2019.

But last night, the 32-year-old rewrote that narrative. Marc Marquez was in dominant form, first seizing a fourth consecutive pole position with a new lap record at Lusail, then leading every lap under the floodlights to secure his fourth sprint win of the season.

jpg?1744530078" style="width: 100%;" />Marc Marquez and Alex Marquez (right) compete during the Qatar Moto GP Grand Prix sprint race at the Lusail International Circuit. Pictures: AFP

The eight-time world champion had to fend off a persistent challenge from his younger brother, Alex Marquez, who entered the round with a slender one-point advantage in the standings.

The two traded positions briefly early in the 11-lap sprint, but Marc Marquez maintained composure and gradually built a lead, eventually crossing the line 1.

577 seconds ahead of Alex.

With the win, Marc Marquez moved to 98 points in the championship table – two points ahead of Gresini Racing’s Alex – heading into tonight’s Qatar Grand Prix.

“Honestly, it’s been an unexpected weekend so far because, as you know, I usually struggle here in Qatar,” Marc  said after the race.

 

“But I’m riding very well and was super consistent in the sprint, managing the gap effectively. Alex attacked on the first lap, but I knew my rhythm was slightly stronger. I just wasn’t ready to push in the first two laps.

Tomorrow, we’ll try to adjust a few small things for the race distance, but the feeling was great.”

Alex once again had to settle for second – his fourth runner-up finish in sprints this season. 

Fans interact with riders during the pitlane walk.

Despite briefly taking the lead on the second lap, he was unable to hold off his elder brother and admitted some late-race issues affected his charge.

“We just need to fine-tune a few things for tomorrow,” Alex said.

“We had a couple of issues near the end, but overall, I maintained a solid pace and I’m happy with that. Hopefully, we can take another step forward for the Grand Prix.”

Team VR46’s Franco Morbidelli completed the sprint podium in third place.

Fermin Aldeguer of Gresini Racing snatched fourth from Fabio Quartararo on the final lap, while Fabio Di Giannantonio finished sixth, ahead of Ai Ogura.

Two-time world champion Francesco Bagnaia, who suffered a crash during qualifying and started from 11th, climbed to eighth place by the end of the sprint, collecting two valuable points.

The Italian, who won the Grand Prix of the Americas, now sits third in the championship with 77 points.

Marco Bezzecchi and Maverick Vinales rounded out the top 10.

Defending world champion Jorge Martin, returning from injury, endured a difficult outing in his season debut.

Starting from 14th on the grid, he finished 16th in his first competitive race of the year.

Meanwhile, the weekend’s first race featured the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup, where Japanese riders Ryota Ogiwara, Seiryu Ikegami, and Shingo Iidaka showcased their dominance, clocking total times of 26’15.497, 26’15.

538 and 26’18.311, respectively.

Off the track, the Fan Zone remained a hive of activity, offering visitors a range of experiences—from racing simulators and go-karting sessions to illusion shows and live music by various DJs and bands.

 

The Hero Walk provided a unique fan engagement opportunity, bringing Moto2 and Moto3 riders face-to-face with spectators. Fans enthusiastically gathered along the paddock walkway, where riders signed autographs, posed for photos and shared moments with their supporters.

MotoGP Grid 
Front row
Marc Marquez (ESP/Ducati), Alex Marquez (ESP/Ducati-Gresini), Fabio Quartararo (FRA/Yamaha)
2nd row
Franco Morbidelli (ITA/Ducati-VR46), Fabio Di Giannantonio (ITA/Ducati-VR46), Maverick Vinales (ESP/KTM-Tech3)
3rd row
Johann Zarco (FRA/Honda-LCR), Fermin Aldeguer (ESP/Ducati-Gresini), Alex Rins (ESP/Yamaha),
4th row
Ai Ogura (JPN/Aprilia-Trackhouse), Francesco Bagnaia (ITA/Ducati), Pedro Acosta (ESP/KTM)
5th row
Marco Bezzecchi (ITA/Aprilia), Jorge Martin (ESP/Aprilia), Luca Marini (ITA/Honda)
6th row
Jack Miller (AUS/Yamaha-Pramac), Raul Fernandez (ESP/Aprilia-Trackhouse), Brad Binder (RSA/KTM)
7th row
Augusto Fernandez (ESP/Pramac-Yamaha), Enea Bastianini (ITA/KTM Tech3), Joan Mir (ESP/Honda),
8th row
Somkiat Chantra (THA/Honda-LCR)

Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar 2025 Sprint Results
1 Marc Marquez 20:38.

304
(Ducati Lenovo Team)
2 Alex Marquez +1.577
(BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP)
3 Franco Morbidelli +3.988
(Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team)
4 Fermin Aldeguer +4.

369
(BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP)
5 Fabio Quartararo +4.593
(Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team)
6 Fabio Di Giannantonio +5.099
(Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team)
7 Ai Ogura +10.

199
(Trackhouse MotoGP Team)
8 Francesco Bagnaia +10.334
(Ducati Lenovo Team)
9 Marco Bezzecchi +11.300
(Aprilia Racing)
10 Maverick Viñales +12.

554
(Red Bull KTM Tech3)
11 Pedro Acosta +13.676
(Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
12 Alex Rins +14.273
(Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team)
13 Enea Bastianini +14.

408
(Red Bull KTM Tech3)
14 Brad Binder +15.459
(Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
15 Luca Marini +15.587
(Honda HRC Castrol)
16 Jorge Martin +15.

775
(Aprilia Racing)
17 Raul Fernandez +16.317
(Trackhouse MotoGP Team)
18 Augusto Fernandez +17.922
(Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP)
19 Jack Miller +20.

274
(Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP)
20 Somkiat Chantra +31.106
(IDEMITSU Honda LCR)

Moto 2 Qualifying Results - After Q2 (Top 10)
1 Manuel Gonzalez 01:56.301
(LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP)
2 Jake Dixon 01:56.

469
(ELF Marc VDS Racing Team)
3 Aron Canet 01:56.593
(Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO)
4 Albert Arenas 01:56.624
(ITALJET Gresini Moto2)
5 Daniel Holgado 01:56.

756
(CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team)
6 Zonta Van Den Goorbergh 01:56.774
(RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP)
7 Deniz Öncü 01:56.778
(Red Bull KTM Ajo)
8 Filip Salac 01:56.

912
(ELF Marc VDS Racing Team)
9 Barry Baltus 01:56.939
(Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO)
10 Marcos Ramirez 01:57.015
(American Racing Team)

Moto 3 Qualifying Results - After Q2 (Top 10)
1 Ryusei Yamanaka 02:02.

638
(FRINSA - MT Helmets - MSI)
2 Joel Kelso +0.041
(LEVELUP-MTA)
3 Jose Antonio Rueda +0.276
(Red Bull KTM Ajo)
4 Riccardo Rossi +0.

300
(Rivacold Snipers Team)
5 Angel Piqueras +0.362
(FRINSA - MT Helmets - MSI)
6 Alvaro Carpe +0.471
(Red Bull KTM Ajo)
7 Adrian Fernandez +0.

600
(Leopard Racing)
8 David Almansa +0.776
(Leopard Racing)
9 Guido Pini +0.919
(LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP)
10 Nicola Carraro +0.

984
(Rivacold Snipers Team)