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Setback for Marquez as last MotoGP race at Phillip Island cancelled due to weather

Treacherous conditions spare injured Jorge Martin as Marc Marquez misses chance to extend lead

2 min read

Treacherous weather and poor visibility forced the cancellation of the final Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island on Sunday, bringing an abrupt and damp conclusion to nearly three decades of racing at the famed waterfront circuit. The decision also halted Marc Marquez's bid to expand his world championship lead over injured rival Jorge Martin.

With torrential rain rendering the track unsafe for all classes, organisers called off the day's events in front of a sell-out crowd. The stoppage offers a vital lifeline to Martin, who avoids losing crucial ground in the title hunt as the paddock prepares to bid farewell to Victoria and head to Adelaide in the future.

SummaryOpen the quick read
  • Persistent rain and limited track visibility forced organisers to cancel Sunday's Australian MotoGP, Moto2, and Moto3 races at Phillip Island.
  • The cancellation froze Marc Marquez's championship lead at 10 points over injured rival Jorge Martin, who missed the race with a fractured forearm.
  • Medical scans confirmed Martin suffered a non-displaced fracture that will not require surgery in Spain, leaving his Malaysian Grand Prix status open.
  • The washout marked an unceremonious conclusion to Phillip Island's 27-year stint on the MotoGP calendar.
  • South Australia has secured a six-year deal to stage the Australian MotoGP on a city-centre street circuit in Adelaide starting from 2027.
Ducati Lenovo Team's Spanish rider Marc Marquez gestures to the crowd after a farewell lap following the cancellation of the last Australian MotoGP Grand Prix to be held at Phillip Island due to inclement weather
Ducati Lenovo Team's Spanish rider Marc Marquez gestures to the crowd after a farewell lap following the cancellation of the last Australian MotoGP Grand Prix to be held at Phillip Island due to inclement weather Picture: WILLIAM WEST/AFP


Marc Marquez was denied the chance Sunday to stretch his world championship lead over injured Jorge Martin with the last Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island cancelled due to treacherous conditions.

Organisers pulled the plug despite a sell-out crowd with persistent rain and poor visibility making racing unsafe. The Moto3 and Moto2 races were also called off.

"Limited visibility has resulted in the cancellation of the Australian MotoGP," organisers said.

It was an inglorious end to nearly three decades of the sport at the waterfront circuit two hours from Melbourne, with the Australian race moving to a city-centre street circuit at Adelaide next year.

While a blow for Ducati's Marquez, it was an escape for Aprilia's Martin, who had been ruled out of the race with a fractured forearm sustained when he crashed during the sprint on Saturday, won by his fellow Spaniard.

He risked sliding further behind seven-time world champion Marquez with only four legs of the season to go, starting next week in Malaysia.

Instead he will leave Australia just 10 points adrift.

Aprilia's Marco Bezzecchi is third in the standings, 50 points behind Marquez.

Whether Martin can ride at Sepang remains to be seen.

His team said in a statement the break was not as bad as initially thought and he would not need to return home to Spain for surgery.

"The only confirmed injury is a non-displaced fracture of the distal radius," Aprilia said, meaning the bone remains aligned.

"Consequently the rider will not be returning to Spain and will undergo the necessary treatment over the coming days."

The picturesque and often windswept Phillip Island track has been a staple on the calendar since 1997.

But its contract expires this year.

Promoter MotoGP Sports Entertainment wanted to broaden its appeal and shift it to Melbourne's Albert Park, which hosts the Australian Formula One.

The Victoria state government was adamant it should remain at Phillip Island.

With negotiations breaking down, South Australia stepped in and secured the race for six years from 2027 in Adelaide -- the first MotoGP to be held in a city‑centre location.

The Herald