Marc Márquez and the Ducati Lenovo Team win the Qatari Sprint. Bagnaia injured in a highside caused by contact

• Fabio Di Giannantonio in second position with the Ducati of the VR46 Racing Team

Marc Márquez and the Ducati Lenovo Team took victory in the 10-lap Sprint at the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar and secured the first match point for the 2026 Riders' Championship title for tomorrow's race. Francesco Bagnaia was out of contention on lap two following a coming together caused by another rider that led to a red flag situation.

Márquez, second on the grid, had the perfect launch at the restart to take the lead, which he then defended first from Bezzecchi and later by Martín. In the closing stages, Marc pulled away courtesy of a streak of fastest lap-times, which allowed him to cross the line unchallenged. Bagnaia, who was running fourth when the highside took place, suffered fractures to the fourth and fifth metatarsals of his right foot. He will fly back to Italy in the coming hours to undergo surgery. His recovery will be constantly monitored to determine his chances for a possible return.

The Ducati Lenovo Team will be back in action tomorrow at 14:40 local time (GMT +3) for the warm up. The 22-lap Grand Prix of Qatar will get underway at 19:00.

Marc Márquez (#93 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1st
“It was a strange Sprint and surely the red flag changed the plans a little. My thoughts go to Pecco, I hope he's OK given the crash he had. At the restart, I was able to take the lead and the goal was to hold is for as many laps as possible. I must say that I was surprised to find Marco (Bezzecchi) on the inside as I was on the same line I usually take, but it's true that he has something extra in terms of speed at this track. After almost crashing out, I had to wait four of five corners before starting to push again as the airbag had deployed, and after that I found myself with Martín right behind. That was the moment I realised I had to push a little harder: I managed to do so and I'm very happy.”