2025 Qatar MotoGP, Lusail - Sprint Race Results

* Rookie

Marc Marquez retakes the MotoGP world championship lead with victory in the 2025 Qatar MotoGP Sprint at Lusail.

Starting from pole for a perfect fourth time this season, the Ducati Lenovo star quickly retaliated when briefly overtaken by younger brother Alex at the end of lap 1.

Marc was never threatened again and rode to a 1.5s victory over the Gresini rider.

The battle for the final podium place went down to the line with Franco Morbidelli under attack from front-row qualifier Fabio Quartararo and flying rookie Fermin Aldeguer.

Morbidelli held firm to complete an all-Ducati podium, while Quartararo's Yamaha got out of shape as he pushed it to the limit at the final corner and he was passed for fourth by Aldeguer.

COTA winner Francesco Bagnaia, left eleventh on the grid by a costly qualifying crash, was never able to make an impact and - after spending much of the race outside the top ten - could only salvage eighth place.

Most of the top ten on the grid chose medium compound tyres front and rear, repeating last year’s Qatar choice.

However, Maverick Vinales (Tech3 KTM), Johann Zarco (LCR Honda) and Alex Rins (Monster Yamaha) - starting sixth, seventh and ninth - plus the likes of factory KTM riders Pedro Acosta (12th) and Brad Binder (18th) tried to gain an edge on the soft rear.

Vinales held fifth for the first half of the 11 laps before, like the other KTMs, he was swallowed by the pack. 

Zarco appeared to suffer a technical issue.

Reigning world champion Jorge Martin - who missed pre-season testing and the opening three rounds due to multiple injuries, most significantly to his left wrist - made his Aprilia race debut this evening.

The Spaniard passed Bagnaia in the early stages, a scenario Martin surely didn't imagine would be possible before the weekend, before fading to 16th.

Joan Mir, who struggled to 21st place in this afternoon’s qualifying, withdrew from the Sprint due to gastroenteritis.

Mir’s condition will be reviewed before Sunday’s warm-up.

Despite Martin’s comeback, the 2025 MotoGP grid remains incomplete, with Yamaha test rider Augusto Fernandez making a second stand-in appearance for the injured Miguel Oliveira at Pramac.

The unique Qatar night race timetable means the opening MotoGP track sessions of each day take place in bright sunshine while the evening sessions are held under the floodlights, in cooler temperatures.