Marc Márquez at the 2024 Malaysian Grand Prix, the rider who can clinch the 2026 MotoGP title at Portimão. File photo: Liauzh via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Motorsport news today is quiet on track but loud on the calendar: no major series runs a session until Formula 1 opens Las Vegas practice on Thursday, Nov. 19, while MotoGP’s Portimão weekend could end the title fight in a single Saturday. Here is what is confirmed as of Friday, Nov. 13, drawn from formula1.com, motogp.com and the FIA.
The one storyline: Márquez can end the MotoGP title fight at Portimão
Marc Márquez leads Jorge Martín by 60 points with 74 left: 37 at the Portuguese Grand Prix and 37 at the Valencia finale, according to motogp.com’s title-maths explainer. Martín has to outscore Márquez by 24 points across the Portimão Sprint and race to keep the fight alive for Valencia. Countback will not help him, since Márquez has seven wins to Martín’s one. Unless Martín closes that gap, Márquez is champion in Portugal. Read our Qatar breakdown for how the gap got here.
Race and session schedule
Formula 1 times below are Las Vegas local time (UTC-8) from formula1.com’s official timetable, with Eastern time added. The timetable is subject to change.
- Thu., Nov. 19: F1 first practice, 4:30 p.m. local (7:30 p.m. ET); second practice, 8:00 p.m. (11:00 p.m. ET).
- Fri., Nov. 20: F1 third practice, 4:30 p.m. (7:30 p.m. ET); qualifying, 8:00 p.m. (11:00 p.m. ET).
- Sat., Nov. 21: Las Vegas Grand Prix, 50 laps or two hours, 8:00 p.m. local (11:00 p.m. ET).
- Nov. 20–22: MotoGP Portuguese Grand Prix at Portimão, with the Sprint on Saturday and the race on Sunday. Confirm final session times on motogp.com, because published timetables can change.
- Nov. 29 and Dec. 6: F1 Qatar (Lusail) and Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina), the last two rounds.
F1’s Las Vegas qualifying and the MotoGP Sprint both land on Friday night and Saturday morning in the U.S., so plan around our waiting-game schedule.
Formula 1: what is left to settle
The official drivers’ standings show Kimi Antonelli on 390 points, with Max Verstappen on 279, George Russell on 262, Lewis Hamilton on 261 and Charles Leclerc on 249. Mercedes already holds the constructors’ crown, so the live fights are second place and the one-point gap between Russell and Hamilton. ESPN reports that F1 told Imola on Nov. 10 it no longer needs to hold a backup finale, with Qatar and Abu Dhabi “set in stone barring unforeseen circumstances.” See yesterday’s briefing and our calendar explainer.
Penalties and stewards’ decisions
No new penalties surfaced in the official F1 or MotoGP news feeds today. The most recent F1 stewards’ calls came at São Paulo, covered in our Leclerc penalty breakdown.
Driver changes
- Ducati (MotoGP): Francesco Bagnaia had successful surgery on a fractured right foot after the Qatar Sprint crash, and motogp.com reports no confirmation yet on Portimão. His return date remains uncertain.
- Red Bull and Racing Bulls (F1): formula1.com lists Tsolov as 2027 reserve driver for both teams, and Lawson and Lindblad stay at Racing Bulls.
- Honda (MotoGP): Jake Dixon stood in for Joan Mir in Qatar, as we reported.
Official announcements
- MotoGP, Nov. 13: A free Fan Fest runs Nov. 25–29 at Valencia’s Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, with a Meet the Riders event on Nov. 25.
- MotoGP, Nov. 12: A two-year media rights deal with ESPN covers the U.S. and Latin America for 2027 and 2028.
- FIA, Nov. 9–10: FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said Qatar and Abu Dhabi will go ahead, with each event assessed individually on security advice.
Also on the site today: Kyle Busch wins NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver award and why BMW will not rule out MotoGP.
Related reading on Backfire Racing
- Retire on an Eighth Title? Marc Márquez Would Be Stopping on a Tie, Not a Record
- The Grid Today, Nov. 12: F1 Stands Down Imola, Leaving the Gulf Finale on Schedule
- Nothing’s on Track Until Nov. 19
Sources: formula1.com, motogp.com, the FIA and ESPN, as linked above. Session times are subject to change, so confirm on the official series sites.
Image credits: Featured image, Marc Márquez at the 2024 Malaysian Grand Prix, photo by Liauzh via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Algarve International Circuit, photo by Pascal Richier via Wikimedia Commons (CC0). Kimi Antonelli at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix, photo by Liauzh via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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