Marc Marquez and Marco Bezzecchi disagree on Qatar MotoGP sprint clash

Motorsport photoMarc Marquez says his clash with Marco Bezzecchi in the Qatar Grand Prix sprint race on Saturday was down to Bezzecchi misjudging his own speed - but his MotoGP rival disagrees. The pair made contact at Turn 1 on the fourth lap as they disputed the lead of the race, with Bezzecchi crashing out. Marquez survived the incident - despite his airbag deploying - and went on to shake off Jorge Martin and win. Read Also: MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix: Marc Marquez wins thrilling sprint as Jorge Martin fights to third Bezzecchi went into the corner behind Marquez, who adopted his typical wide line and was then seemingly surprised to find the factory Aprilia on the inside as he returned to his late apex, resulting in the contact. The matter was treated as a racing incident by the stewards, but that did not prevent questions being asked of both riders in the aftermath.In Marquez's analysis, Bezzecchi's appearance on the same patch of asphalt he was aiming for was down to the Italian underestimating his speed advantage. Marquez likened the incident to that at the start of the Indonesian Grand Prix in 2025, when Bezzecchi hit Marquez from behind as he carried more speed into a fast corner."For me, it was clear," said Marquez. "If you check the helicopter [cameras], my Turn 1 was exactly the same on that lap and the next ones. I always go a bit wide and try to close the line.Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia RacingMarco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing"It was similar to Indonesia. Bezzecchi is steps faster than everybody here. He didn't realise that we are slow like we are. I mean, we are fast, but he is much faster!" Although Bezzecchi was keen to avoid controversy and focus on the Sunday race, he did not agree with the Marquez assessment of what happened."It's not super fair to take out one completely different episode," he said. "But, I respect what he says. I personally don't agree because it's completely different. But it doesn't matter too much right now."In the end, I tried my line, I was on the inside and a second later I was on the ground. So, it's something that can happen."Asked if he was angry, he said there was no point in such a reaction: "At the end, I would be wasting my energy for nothing. It's out of my control. It's not something that I have to decide... so, let's try to keep our focus on the race for tomorrow."Marquez was asked how close he had come to falling in the incident, particularly given that the rider on the outside is typically the loser in such a situation."I don't know," said the man from Cervera. "I just felt the contact and poof, [the airbag] deployed. But I don't know if my bike was shaking a lot or not. Marc Marquez, Ducati TeamMarc Marquez, Ducati Team"I was super concentrated. And when I'm concentrated, I don't feel what the bike is doing."[After the airbag deployed] I was not able to ride the bike for three or four corners. When Martin overtook me, it was not a great surprise for my race."Marquez concluded his media briefing by heaping additional pressure on Bezzecchi. He called the Italian the favourite for the Sunday race, which the Aprilia man will once again start from pole position."Tomorrow, if nothing strange happens, Marco will win the race. Because he's faster than everybody." Read Also: Francesco Bagnaia out of Qatar Grand Prix with fractures in right foot To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.