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The Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island, the last to be held at the venue, was canceled Sunday because of dangerous weather, denying Marc Marquez a chance to extend his world championship lead over the injured Jorge Martin.
Organizers called off the race, despite a sell-out crowd, because persistent rain and poor visibility made racing unsafe. The Moto3 and Moto2 races, the support categories that run alongside MotoGP, the sport’s top class, were also canceled. “Limited visibility has resulted in the cancellation of the Australian MotoGP,” organizers 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-center street circuit in Adelaide next year.
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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, a shorter race held 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, the Malaysian circuit hosting next week’s race, 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 Victorian 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-center location.
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