Marc Márquez and the Ducati Lenovo Team remain undefeated on Saturday courtesy of the Sprint Race win at the Lusail International Circuit, as they return atop the championship standings. Francesco Bagnaia finished in eighth place.
After an start from pole position – secured with the new outright lap record of the track (1’59.499) – Márquez broke through his brother’s early resistance and crossed the line a lonely winner.
Following a crash in qualifying that relegated him to 11th place on the grid, Bagnaia was able to make it back into the top 8 in the closing stages and scored two points.
The riders of the Ducati Lenovo Team will resume proceedings tomorrow at 15:40 local time (GMT +3) for the warm-up session, with the 22-lap Qatar Grand Prix race getting underway at 20:00.
Marc Márquez (#93 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1st
“We’re having a good weekend, one that I think is the most important of the season for me. It’s too soon to draw conclusions, with the full race still awaiting us tomorrow. At the moment, Pecco, Alex and I have a similar level. From the fifth or sixth lap onwards, with used tyres, I normally feel better in terms of riding, and that’s why I chose to try and pull away as soon as I felt that the bike was sliding a bit more. But the real difference this year has been in the time attack.”
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 8th
“Today I struggled. Unfortunately, at the moment, I can’t overcome this limit I have in the sprint race, as braking hard and overtaking don’t seem to come as easily as I’d like. The opening lap wasn’t too bad, but then I got sucked in and it took me a while to make my way back, as I couldn’t ride at my pace. Qualifying was a different story altogether: after my first attempt, in which I didn’t feel at my best, I ended up crashing out in the second time attack, when things seemed better. It was my mistake, but I had to try.”
