Luca Marini Withdraws from Qatar Grand Prix as Grid Drops to 16

Luca Marini has withdrawn from Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix, reducing the starting grid to just 16 motorcycles.

Marini has struggled with fatigue symptoms all weekend, to the point that he did not speak to the media following Saturday’s sprint. This follows his withdrawal from the Australian Grand Prix two weeks ago with a virus. In light of these ongoing difficulties, he has decided not to contest the 22 laps of the Losail circuit on Sunday.

“Due to his ongoing state of fatigue, Luca Marini and the Honda HRC Castrol team have elected to withdraw him from the #QatarGP to focus on the final two rounds of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship,” read a statement from HRC.

With teammate Joan Mir already out of the race as he continues to battle health issues of his own, both regular factory Honda riders are now sidelined.

While Mir has a substitute in Jake Dixon, Marini’s late withdrawal means he will not be on the grid. The same applies to Francesco Bagnaia, who broke two bones in his foot in a sprint accident on Saturday.

With the four Yamahas already having withdrawn from this race due to the conflict in the region, the grid for Sunday’s race will feature 16 motorcycles at best.

There has been some doubt around the participation of Maverick Vinales, who spoke about curtailing his weekend after a demoralizing sprint on Saturday. However, the Spaniard took part in the morning warm-up, and there is no news of the Tech 3 rider following through on his threat to pull out.

While there have been smaller grids during the MotoGP era, the start at Losail will nonetheless look very thin on Sunday evening, and there will be implications for the championship battle.

Luca Marini, Honda HRC

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images

With points awarded to the top 15 riders, the entry situation makes it highly unlikely that Jorge Martin will fail to score if he finishes the race—even one point will be enough to prevent Marc Marquez from clinching a 10th world championship on Sunday, even if the factory Ducati rider wins the race.

Bagnaia and Marini had qualified fifth and 14th respectively, but the riders behind one or both of them will move up accordingly on the republished grid.

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