Jorge Martin is stealing the headlines this week as the defending World Champion returns to competitive racing for the first time this year. The reigning title holder finds himself down the pecking order in the 2025 MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix pre-event odds, relegated by the Marquez brothers and Francesco Bagnaia.
After reading our analysis, check out ourpartner sportsbooks to get valuable promotions and place bets.
In addition to traditional sports betting on MotoGP, the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar has Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) Real Money Gaming available in a Pick’Em style on Underdog. Although “fantasy games” might seem misleading, DFS is a significant and growing category within legal sports wagering. MotoGP fans are allowed to legally make better/worse picks with real money gaming in 30 states, including California, Texas & Wisconsin, where traditional sports betting is currently illegal.
Schedule and How to Watch the MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix
Riders pull out of the pits at the Lusail International Circuit for the first time on Friday, April 11th. Free Practice 1 broadcasts from 8:45 AM ET on Fox Sports. Racing shifts gears on Saturday as we build up to qualifying and the customary Saturday sprint.
Qualifying is set for 8:40 AM ET and riders will line up on the grid for the sprint at 1 PM. Teams and riders return to the track on Sunday for the night Grand Prix, which airs at 1 PM on the East Coast.
Weather Forecast For MotoGP Grand Prix of Qatar
Clear skies and scorching temperatures greet riders all weekend. The high 90s are forecast for Friday during FP1 and Saturday during qualifying, with no rain on the horizon. Riders will enjoy slightly cooler weather as they navigate the sprint and GP on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Mid 80-degree temperatures can be expected after sundown.
Best Bets and Picks for the 2025 Qatar MotoGP
Top Picks and Bets
Driver
Event Winner
$20 Payout
Marc Marquez
-250
$28.00
Francesco Bagnaia
+300
$80.00
Alex Marquez
+700
$160.00
Marc Marquez (-250):
Marc Marquez starts in the Middle East off the back of crashing out in the Grand Prix of the Americas. The Spaniard was leading comfortably until turn four of the ninth lap when he found himself sliding along the asphalt. “The Ant of Cervera” takes off in Qatar with two wins under the bike in three attempts this season.
Francesco Bagnaia (+300):
Ducati star Francesco Bagnaia entered Victory Lane in Austin, for the first time this season. The win leaves him 12 points adrift of the series leader and handed him his second podium of the term. “Pecco” touches down in the Persian Gulf desperate to retain the crown he claimed a year ago. His start in Qatar catapulted him to an 11-win season in 2024.
Alex Marquez (+700):
The younger Marquez might have struggled to overtake his brother on the track, but he leads him in the Championship. Alex Marquez leads his brother by one point at the start of the Qatar GP weekend after finishing second in every race this year.
Outsider Bets
Driver
Event Winner
$20 Payout
Fabio Di Giannantonio
+1100
$240.00
Jorge Martin
+2500
$520.00
Franco Morbidelli
+2800
$580.00
Fabio Di Giannantonio (+1100):
The 2023 Qatar MotoGP Champion Fabio Di Giannantonio is hitting his stride in 2025, improving in every race. “Diggia” greeted the stewards in 10th at the Chang International Circuit, before claiming consecutive top fives in the second and third races. The VR 46 Racing rider climbed onto the podium in Texas and offers excellent value at +1100.
Jorge Martin (+2500):
The 2024 Moto GP World Champion Jorge Martin is back, after missing the first three rounds of this campaign. “The Martinator” reports for duty at the Lusail International Circuit seeking to replicate his success in the previous edition, but he starts on a new bike, after switching to Aprilia at the start of the calendar.
Franco Morbidelli (+2800):
Franco Morbidelli carries long odds into Qatar despite a consistent start to the year. The Italian has crossed the line inside the top five in every race, including the final spot on the podium in Argentina. The elephant in the room is the Italian’s past visits to the Middle Eastern Nation, failing to break into the top 10. Franco crossed the line in 11th in 2019 and 2022, his best rides at Lusail.
Expert Pick for MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix
Francesco Bagnaia is an easy expert pick for the Qatar MotoGP, as the defending Champion and a winner already this season. “Pecco” is favorably priced for a strong contender, carrying odds of +300, with a potential payout of $80 on a $20 wager.
Where to Bet on MotoGP
Can the lap record holder at this track Jorge Martin produce a memorable comeback and start his season on a high? Will Marc Marquez bounce back after crashing out in the United States, or can his younger brother finally enter Victory Lane?
Visit our partner sportsbooksto access special deals that will elevate your betting experience as you anticipate the upcoming MotoGP Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar. If you’re a newbie in the world of MotoGP betting, our comprehensive MotoGP Betting Guide is a must-read. Remember to enjoy the race and make your betting choices wisely. Betting responsibly ensures the fun lasts all season long.
Joel Esteban took pole in Moto3 qualifying at the Brazilian Grand Prix in Goiânia, posting a 1:26.241 on his Level Up MTA KTM to head the 25-rider field. The session, run on Pirelli control tyres, produced extremely tight times up front: Valentin Perrone was only 0.206 seconds back in 1:26.447 and Hakim Danish a further 0.001 behind in 1:26.448, with Veda Pratama (1:26.506), Marco Morelli (1:26.560) and Brian Uriarte (1:26.835) completing the top six. Several factory-supported KTM entries filled the top positions and the front row was separated by mere hundredths of a second.
The weekend’s practice running had pointed to a highly competitive grid. Brian Uriarte led Free Practice One on Friday morning with a 1:32.812 for Red Bull KTM Ajo, while David Almansa dominated later sessions — topping Friday afternoon practice with a 1:30.260 (edging Cormac Buchanan by 0.003) and leading Saturday’s FP2 with a 1:27.308 on his Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP KTM. Joel Kelso (1:27.365) and Perrone (1:27.466) were closest to Almansa in FP2.
Friday’s running also underlined the depth of rookie talent — six rookies finished inside the top 10 that day — and produced tight margins across the board, with Guido Pini recovering from a last-minute high-side to finish 11th and Max Quiles narrowly securing a spot in Q2 from 14th.
Ducati’s recent slump — centered on worsening front-end and braking performance — has become a clear wake-up call that has forced urgent setup and development work, team and industry figures said. Factory general manager Gigi Dall’Igna described the lackluster weekend in Austin as a wake-up call and warned the team must work hard on setup and development to regain winning form.
Engineers and riders pointed to a loss of front-end grip and weaker braking and corner-entry performance versus the Aprilia RS-GP; those problems have cost Ducati tire life and race pace and have materially affected early 2026 results.
Marc Márquez’s future in MotoGP is uncertain as he balances recovery from repeated, serious injuries with ongoing contract negotiations. He has said, “I know I’ll be ending my sporting career on two wheels,” described himself as being in his “final dance,” and acknowledged he is “limited more by my body than by my mind.” He also says renewal talks with Ducati “are going well,” but there is no concrete news; reports say his current deal is expiring, he has requested a one-plus-one contract rather than a long-term deal, and he plans to wait until he is fully recovered before deciding.
Márquez’s caution is rooted in a difficult medical history. He underwent four major operations over two years after a 2020 right humerus fracture. In 2025 he suffered a season-ending shoulder problem — including a coracoid fracture, ligament damage and a broken collarbone — after being taken out at Mandalika by Marco Bezzecchi; that incident required surgery in October. He returned to a MotoGP machine at the Sepang test in February and made his racing comeback at the Thailand Grand Prix, where he finished second in the sprint before a tire failure ended a Grand Prix podium bid. He continues extra training and physiotherapy.
Outside observers differ on how long Márquez will continue. Former rider Alex Barros suggested Márquez could consider retirement even if he defends the 2026 title, citing lingering shoulder issues and the potential arrival of Pedro Acosta at Ducati in 2027, while framing that view as speculation. Promoter and pundit Carlo Pernat said he saw “fear” in Márquez’s eyes after recent injuries but predicted he would race “another year or two,” noting the rider remains fast enough to beat most rivals while warning that rising talents such as Acosta could reshape the rivalry ahead. Despite the setbacks, Márquez remains competitive for Ducati, having secured his seventh MotoGP title in 2025 and becoming the oldest rider to claim the championship.
Marc Márquez crashed three times during the final pre‑season test at Buriram, visiting the medical center after each fall and failing to complete a race simulation. He said a stomach bug left him tired and briefly lacking concentration, and he acknowledged that a prior shoulder injury had not recovered as well as expected — some outlets describe that damage as a coracoid fracture with right‑shoulder ligament injury that required surgery and sidelined him for the final four rounds of 2025, while others refer to a broken collarbone.
Despite the setbacks, Márquez posted the third‑fastest time at Buriram overall; his Sepang outing before Buriram was described as broadly successful, but he was unable to reproduce a full race run in Thailand. Teammates Alex Márquez and Pecco Bagnaia completed stronger race‑simulation laps in testing; Bagnaia posted the fourth‑fastest time at Buriram and abandoned a final‑day simulation after a technical issue.
Reactions were mixed: Ducati team boss Davide Tardozzi said the crashes should not influence Márquez’s performance at the Thai GP and that Ducati expects him to be a championship contender from the first race. Stefan Bradl framed the incidents as part of Márquez’s process of relearning his limits and suggested the rider could be “very dangerous” once he rediscovers them. By contrast, Ducati adviser Peter Bom called the first crash “really, really silly,” said Márquez no longer bounces back as he used to and is more vulnerable with a shoulder that has not fully recovered, warning there is a serious chance he might not dominate or win the 2026 title despite remaining among the pre‑race favourites. The converging facts — three crashes with medical checks after each, illness and lingering injury concerns — leave uncertainty over how quickly Márquez can rebuild fitness and confidence ahead of the opening rounds.
Best Bets: 2025 MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix Pre-Event Odds Analysis
Jorge Martin is stealing the headlines this week as the defending World Champion returns to competitive racing for the first time this year. The reigning title holder finds himself down the pecking order in the 2025 MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix pre-event odds, relegated by the Marquez brothers and Francesco Bagnaia.
After reading our analysis, check out our partner sportsbooks to get valuable promotions and place bets.
In addition to traditional sports betting on MotoGP, the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar has Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) Real Money Gaming available in a Pick’Em style on Underdog. Although “fantasy games” might seem misleading, DFS is a significant and growing category within legal sports wagering. MotoGP fans are allowed to legally make better/worse picks with real money gaming in 30 states, including California, Texas & Wisconsin, where traditional sports betting is currently illegal.
Schedule and How to Watch the MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix
Riders pull out of the pits at the Lusail International Circuit for the first time on Friday, April 11th. Free Practice 1 broadcasts from 8:45 AM ET on Fox Sports. Racing shifts gears on Saturday as we build up to qualifying and the customary Saturday sprint.
Qualifying is set for 8:40 AM ET and riders will line up on the grid for the sprint at 1 PM. Teams and riders return to the track on Sunday for the night Grand Prix, which airs at 1 PM on the East Coast.
Weather Forecast For MotoGP Grand Prix of Qatar
Clear skies and scorching temperatures greet riders all weekend. The high 90s are forecast for Friday during FP1 and Saturday during qualifying, with no rain on the horizon. Riders will enjoy slightly cooler weather as they navigate the sprint and GP on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Mid 80-degree temperatures can be expected after sundown.
Best Bets and Picks for the 2025 Qatar MotoGP
Top Picks and Bets
Driver
Event Winner
$20 Payout
Marc Marquez
-250
$28.00
Francesco Bagnaia
+300
$80.00
Alex Marquez
+700
$160.00
Marc Marquez (-250):
Marc Marquez starts in the Middle East off the back of crashing out in the Grand Prix of the Americas. The Spaniard was leading comfortably until turn four of the ninth lap when he found himself sliding along the asphalt. “The Ant of Cervera” takes off in Qatar with two wins under the bike in three attempts this season.
Francesco Bagnaia (+300):
Ducati star Francesco Bagnaia entered Victory Lane in Austin, for the first time this season. The win leaves him 12 points adrift of the series leader and handed him his second podium of the term. “Pecco” touches down in the Persian Gulf desperate to retain the crown he claimed a year ago. His start in Qatar catapulted him to an 11-win season in 2024.
Alex Marquez (+700):
The younger Marquez might have struggled to overtake his brother on the track, but he leads him in the Championship. Alex Marquez leads his brother by one point at the start of the Qatar GP weekend after finishing second in every race this year.
Outsider Bets
Driver
Event Winner
$20 Payout
Fabio Di Giannantonio
+1100
$240.00
Jorge Martin
+2500
$520.00
Franco Morbidelli
+2800
$580.00
Fabio Di Giannantonio (+1100):
The 2023 Qatar MotoGP Champion Fabio Di Giannantonio is hitting his stride in 2025, improving in every race. “Diggia” greeted the stewards in 10th at the Chang International Circuit, before claiming consecutive top fives in the second and third races. The VR 46 Racing rider climbed onto the podium in Texas and offers excellent value at +1100.
Jorge Martin (+2500):
The 2024 Moto GP World Champion Jorge Martin is back, after missing the first three rounds of this campaign. “The Martinator” reports for duty at the Lusail International Circuit seeking to replicate his success in the previous edition, but he starts on a new bike, after switching to Aprilia at the start of the calendar.
Franco Morbidelli (+2800):
Franco Morbidelli carries long odds into Qatar despite a consistent start to the year. The Italian has crossed the line inside the top five in every race, including the final spot on the podium in Argentina. The elephant in the room is the Italian’s past visits to the Middle Eastern Nation, failing to break into the top 10. Franco crossed the line in 11th in 2019 and 2022, his best rides at Lusail.
Expert Pick for MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix
Francesco Bagnaia is an easy expert pick for the Qatar MotoGP, as the defending Champion and a winner already this season. “Pecco” is favorably priced for a strong contender, carrying odds of +300, with a potential payout of $80 on a $20 wager.
Where to Bet on MotoGP
Can the lap record holder at this track Jorge Martin produce a memorable comeback and start his season on a high? Will Marc Marquez bounce back after crashing out in the United States, or can his younger brother finally enter Victory Lane?
Visit our partner sportsbooks to access special deals that will elevate your betting experience as you anticipate the upcoming MotoGP Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar. If you’re a newbie in the world of MotoGP betting, our comprehensive MotoGP Betting Guide is a must-read. Remember to enjoy the race and make your betting choices wisely. Betting responsibly ensures the fun lasts all season long.
Related Posts
Joel Esteban secures pole for Level Up MTA KTM in Goiânia
Joel Esteban took pole in Moto3 qualifying at the Brazilian Grand Prix in Goiânia, posting a 1:26.241 on his Level Up MTA KTM to head the 25-rider field. The session, run on Pirelli control tyres, produced extremely tight times up front: Valentin Perrone was only 0.206 seconds back in 1:26.447 and Hakim Danish a further 0.001 behind in 1:26.448, with Veda Pratama (1:26.506), Marco Morelli (1:26.560) and Brian Uriarte (1:26.835) completing the top six. Several factory-supported KTM entries filled the top positions and the front row was separated by mere hundredths of a second.
The weekend’s practice running had pointed to a highly competitive grid. Brian Uriarte led Free Practice One on Friday morning with a 1:32.812 for Red Bull KTM Ajo, while David Almansa dominated later sessions — topping Friday afternoon practice with a 1:30.260 (edging Cormac Buchanan by 0.003) and leading Saturday’s FP2 with a 1:27.308 on his Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP KTM. Joel Kelso (1:27.365) and Perrone (1:27.466) were closest to Almansa in FP2.
Friday’s running also underlined the depth of rookie talent — six rookies finished inside the top 10 that day — and produced tight margins across the board, with Guido Pini recovering from a last-minute high-side to finish 11th and Max Quiles narrowly securing a spot in Q2 from 14th.
Austin slump forces Ducati into urgent setup push
Ducati’s recent slump — centered on worsening front-end and braking performance — has become a clear wake-up call that has forced urgent setup and development work, team and industry figures said. Factory general manager Gigi Dall’Igna described the lackluster weekend in Austin as a wake-up call and warned the team must work hard on setup and development to regain winning form.
Engineers and riders pointed to a loss of front-end grip and weaker braking and corner-entry performance versus the Aprilia RS-GP; those problems have cost Ducati tire life and race pace and have materially affected early 2026 results.
Marc Márquez Weighs Retirement Amid Injuries, Ducati Talks
Marc Márquez’s future in MotoGP is uncertain as he balances recovery from repeated, serious injuries with ongoing contract negotiations. He has said, “I know I’ll be ending my sporting career on two wheels,” described himself as being in his “final dance,” and acknowledged he is “limited more by my body than by my mind.” He also says renewal talks with Ducati “are going well,” but there is no concrete news; reports say his current deal is expiring, he has requested a one-plus-one contract rather than a long-term deal, and he plans to wait until he is fully recovered before deciding.
Márquez’s caution is rooted in a difficult medical history. He underwent four major operations over two years after a 2020 right humerus fracture. In 2025 he suffered a season-ending shoulder problem — including a coracoid fracture, ligament damage and a broken collarbone — after being taken out at Mandalika by Marco Bezzecchi; that incident required surgery in October. He returned to a MotoGP machine at the Sepang test in February and made his racing comeback at the Thailand Grand Prix, where he finished second in the sprint before a tire failure ended a Grand Prix podium bid. He continues extra training and physiotherapy.
Outside observers differ on how long Márquez will continue. Former rider Alex Barros suggested Márquez could consider retirement even if he defends the 2026 title, citing lingering shoulder issues and the potential arrival of Pedro Acosta at Ducati in 2027, while framing that view as speculation. Promoter and pundit Carlo Pernat said he saw “fear” in Márquez’s eyes after recent injuries but predicted he would race “another year or two,” noting the rider remains fast enough to beat most rivals while warning that rising talents such as Acosta could reshape the rivalry ahead. Despite the setbacks, Márquez remains competitive for Ducati, having secured his seventh MotoGP title in 2025 and becoming the oldest rider to claim the championship.
Crashes, illness and shoulder surgery cloud Márquez’s 2026
Marc Márquez crashed three times during the final pre‑season test at Buriram, visiting the medical center after each fall and failing to complete a race simulation. He said a stomach bug left him tired and briefly lacking concentration, and he acknowledged that a prior shoulder injury had not recovered as well as expected — some outlets describe that damage as a coracoid fracture with right‑shoulder ligament injury that required surgery and sidelined him for the final four rounds of 2025, while others refer to a broken collarbone.
Despite the setbacks, Márquez posted the third‑fastest time at Buriram overall; his Sepang outing before Buriram was described as broadly successful, but he was unable to reproduce a full race run in Thailand. Teammates Alex Márquez and Pecco Bagnaia completed stronger race‑simulation laps in testing; Bagnaia posted the fourth‑fastest time at Buriram and abandoned a final‑day simulation after a technical issue.
Reactions were mixed: Ducati team boss Davide Tardozzi said the crashes should not influence Márquez’s performance at the Thai GP and that Ducati expects him to be a championship contender from the first race. Stefan Bradl framed the incidents as part of Márquez’s process of relearning his limits and suggested the rider could be “very dangerous” once he rediscovers them. By contrast, Ducati adviser Peter Bom called the first crash “really, really silly,” said Márquez no longer bounces back as he used to and is more vulnerable with a shoulder that has not fully recovered, warning there is a serious chance he might not dominate or win the 2026 title despite remaining among the pre‑race favourites. The converging facts — three crashes with medical checks after each, illness and lingering injury concerns — leave uncertainty over how quickly Márquez can rebuild fitness and confidence ahead of the opening rounds.