The sprint race of the Qatar Grand Prix has generated controversy between Marc Márquez and Marco Bezzecchi. The two riders were involved in an incident on the first lap that resulted in Bezzecchi’s fall while Márquez was able to continue competing.
The key moment took place on the fourth lap at turn 1, where, due to the fight for the lead, Bezzecchi touched Márquez, resulting in his fall. Although Márquez survived the impact, his airbag deployed, which took priority in his subsequent reflections about the race.
Márquez pointed out that Bezzecchi had underestimated his speed, arguing that, looking at the helicopter camera footage, his trajectory had not changed during the race. According to him, the incident recalls a similar situation experienced during the 2025 Indonesian Grand Prix.
For his part, Bezzecchi, who prefers to avoid controversy, expressed that he disagreed with Márquez’s analysis. ‘It is not fair to compare two different episodes,’ he said, adding that he tried to alter his line but that the contact resulted in his fall. He preferred to focus on Sunday’s race rather than discussing what had happened.
After the incident, Márquez said he did not know how close he was to falling during the impact, as he was completely focused on the competition and did not feel the behavior of his bike. However, he acknowledged that he could not control his bike for several corners after his airbag activated.
In a surprising conclusion, Márquez stated that he sees Bezzecchi as the favorite for Sunday’s race, highlighting his superior speed. ‘If nothing strange happens, Marco will win,’ he said confidently.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
