Here's when Marc Marquez can clinch the 2026 MotoGP world championship
Marquez is on the brink of glory (Credit: Apex Agency)
Connor Andrews is Formula 1 and MotoGP writer for GPblog and various outlets. Having worked in motorsport for 15 years for leading companies, he has interviewed the sports biggest names and attended multiple Grands Prix.
Marc Marquez is set to finally surpass Valentino Rossi for MotoGP titles, and he can do it next time out in Qatar.
The nine-time champion is close to recording his 10th Grand Prix motorcycle racing crown, one more than his long-retired rival.
His eighth in the premier class would also put him joint top of the all-time list with Giacomo Agostini, likely confirming his ‘GOAT’ status that many believe he already deserves.
Marquez won titles in Moto2 and Moto3 before graduating to MotoGP in 2013 and winning seven of the next eight championships.
However, several crashes and injuries saw him in hospital and out of contention for five years, until he moved to Ducati and lifted the riders’ title trophy again last season.
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The 33-year-old is close to going back-to-back with the Italian squad, and can do so this weekend at the Qatar Grand Prix.
How many points does Marquez need to win the title in Qatar?
Qatar is the third-to-last race of the season, and Marquez has a 44-point lead over Jorge Martin and 67 points over Marco Bezzecchi.
The maximum points left on the table are 111, 37 per weekend, split between 12 for a Sprint Race win and 25 for a Grand Prix victory.
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74 points will be left on the table after Qatar, meaning Marquez will need 74 more than both of the Aprilia riders, as he beats both on the tie-break of Grand Prix wins.
That means he needs to gain 30 points on Martin in Lusail, and seven on Bezzecchi.
Jorge Martin's injury could hand Marquez a historic opportunity
An advantage of 30 points out of 37 may sound hard, but Martin is still doubtful for Qatar, having pulled out of the Malaysian Grand Prix last time out with the broken wrist he sustained a race earlier in Australia.
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Martin only needs eight points from the weekend to keep the title alive, but there are further complications.
Yamaha have already pulled out of the race in the Middle East over safety concerns regarding the ongoing conflict in the region.
So far, no other team has joined them, but Marquez is believed to be one of the most vocal voices against travelling, which could hand an advantage back to Martin.
How Marquez clinches the title in Qatar:
| Marquez's points total | Martin's points total | Bezzecchi's points total |
| 37 | 7 or fewer | 29 or fewer |
| 36 | 6 or fewer | 28 or fewer |
| 35 | 5 or fewer | 27 or fewer |
| 34 | 4 or fewer | 26 or fewer |
| 33 | 3 or fewer | 25 or fewer |
| 32 | 2 or fewer | 24 or fewer |
| 31 | 1 or fewer | 23 or fewer |
| 30 | 0 | 22 or fewer |
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