Marco Bezzecchi claimed victory at the Lusail International Circuit during the Qatar Grand Prix, delaying Marc Marquez from sealing his eighth MotoGP world championship, Jauns.lv reported.
While Aprilia rider Bezzecchi dominated Sunday’s main race, the weekend’s earlier action had featured intense battles and controversy at the front of the grid.
Pole-sitter Bezzecchi initially held the lead at lights out, while Francesco Bagnaia surged into second place ahead of his teammate Marquez.
Don't rule out the Aprilias, they are still in the title fight! 🏆#QatarGP 🇶🇦 pic.twitter.com/WqCPryNqmo
Sacīkstes tika apturētas pēc smaga kritiena 16. līkumā, kad Fermins Aldeguers uzkrita Bagnaijas aizmugurējam ritenim, pēc kura divkārtējais MotoGP čempions tika aizvests uz nestuvēm. F1LV Blogs reported that Aldeguer later received a double long-lap penalty for the maneuver.
Following a five-minute stoppage and restart, Marquez seized the lead. The race changed on the fourth lap when Bezzecchi attempted an overtake on Marquez at the first corner, resulting in contact that sent Bezzecchi crashing out of the race, as noted by F1LV Blogs.
Stewards reviewed the incident and took no further action against Marquez. Fabio Di Digianantonio subsequently overtook Jorge Martin to claim second place, leaving Martin in third.
In Sunday’s Grand Prix, Bezzecchi bounced back to secure a dominant victory, while Marquez finished second after passing Raul Fernandez, Sportacentrs.com reported. Jorge Martin crossed the line in seventh place.
It's always a first with Bezzecchi 🏆 12 wins, 12 different tracks, a new #MotoGP record ✍️#QatarGP🇶🇦https://t.co/kqmv7z6DRZ
Those results widened Marquez’s championship lead to 60 points over Martin and 74 points over Bezzecchi, pushing the title fight forward to the Portuguese Grand Prix at the Portimao circuit, according to Sportacentrs.com.
“We achieved something admirable this weekend,” Marquez said in an interview with TNT Sports 2, as reported by Sportacentrs.com. “We know that Aprilia was super fast in Qatar, which they showed. But even in those conditions, we managed to be there, score 32 points, and that is something admirable.”
Marquez added that his tactical approach will shift for the season’s closing rounds. “Last year we saw that in Portugal Aprilia was very, very fast,” Marquez told TNT Sports 2, according to Sportacentrs.com. “I took extra risks in the overseas races. Now I want to calm down, and I think it is time to take a step back and continue collecting points.”
Marquez can secure his eighth career world championship—which would move him past Valentino Rossi and draw him level with Giacomo Agostini in total titles—as early as Saturday’s sprint race in Portugal, Sportacentrs.com reported.
If Marquez wins the sprint, results from his rivals will no longer matter. To clinch the title at Portimao, he needs to conclude the weekend holding at least a 37-point advantage in the overall standings.
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