Jorge Martin keeps title hopes alive after strong Qatar start
NXTbets Pro | Published On: November 7, 2026
Martin cleared
Jorge Martin arrived in Qatar still carrying the damage from the Phillip Island Sprint, but MotoGP Medical Director Dr. Angel Charte cleared him to ride at Losail after examining him at 12:15 p.m. local time. Martin said the bone in his right arm was still broken, and the injury remained the central question around his weekend. He entered the round second in the championship, 44 points behind Marc Marquez, with the title picture tightening around every session. He also knew the number in front of him. Martin needed at least eight points in Qatar to keep his championship hopes alive, and if he failed to reach that mark, Marquez could clinch the title on Sunday. The situation gave Martin little room to think beyond the next run on track.
Martin did not hide how hard the recovery has been. He said he had lost confidence and strength since the crash, especially when changing direction and braking, two areas that matter most on a demanding circuit like Losail. Paolo Bonora said Martin was already handling direction changes better than he had in Malaysia, but he was still fighting the bike under hard braking. That matches Martin’s own view of the weekend. He said adrenaline helped mask the pain in his wrist during the session, but he also said the time attack remained the toughest part because the wrist hurt most when he pushed at the limit. Even with that limitation, Martin said he felt better with each run and hoped to keep improving before qualifying and the race. He said he was proud of what he had done and felt much closer to racing normally again.
Martin’s pace
Martin backed up that optimism with strong early pace in Qatar. He finished fifth in first practice, completed 15 laps and spent much of the session near the top of the timesheets. He ended the session 0.734 seconds behind Marc Marquez, a gap that showed he was still working through the injury but also remained close enough to stay in the fight at the front of the field. The practice result mattered for more than confidence. It showed that Martin could stay on the pace while managing the injury and the physical demands that come with a fractured right radius. He was not just circulating to get through the day. He was competitive enough to stay relevant in the opening run of the weekend.
That speed carried into the next phase of the event. Martin advanced directly to Q2 with the seventh-fastest time at Losail, completing 26 laps and setting his personal best lap at the circuit. That was the clearest sign yet that he was adapting to the bike and the track as the weekend unfolded. Martin said the day was easier with each run, and the lap times reflected that trend. He was still dealing with the limits of the injury, especially in hard braking and direction changes, but the overall picture pointed upward. The combination of a fifth-place practice finish and direct passage into Q2 gave him a chance to protect his title hopes with a clean qualifying session and a solid race. For Martin, the weekend was about more than surviving. It was about finding enough speed to keep the championship within reach.
Title fight math
The championship arithmetic stayed simple for Martin, even if he refused to make it the focus of his weekend. He said he was focused on finishing and scoring points rather than on the math around the title, a practical approach for a rider still rebuilding confidence after the crash. Martin did not speak like a rider trying to protect a position. He spoke like one trying to keep the season moving one race at a time.
That approach fit the way his day unfolded. The key tests ahead were qualifying speed and race management. His early showing in Qatar gave him a chance to keep building confidence and remain in the fight.
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