MotoGP race cancelled: Phillip Island goes without a final Grand Prix!

The final MotoGP race at Phillip Island will not take place. Due to restricted visibility, which hinders the operation of the rescue helicopter, the 2026 Australian Grand Prix has been cancelled. The Moto3 and Moto2 races had already been cancelled. This means that the farewell to the historic circuit will conclude without any racing taking place on Sunday.

Organisers had initially waited for conditions to improve and had adjusted the schedule several times. Most recently, the pit lane was provisionally scheduled to open for the MotoGP race at 4.00 pm local time (6.00 am CET). However, the necessary improvement in visibility failed to materialise. Without the guaranteed deployment of the rescue helicopter, the race could not go ahead.

Small consolation: a farewell lap instead of racing action

For fans and riders alike, the cancellation is particularly bitter: it would have been the final Grand Prix at Phillip Island. Instead of a final race, there will now be a joint farewell lap. The MotoGP riders will lap the circuit behind the safety car and then stop on the start-finish straight to wave to the spectators.

Die MotoGP-Piloten starteten 5:45 Uhr (MEZ) zu einer Paraderunde

Foto: MotoGP

To this end, the pit lane is due to open at 15:45 local time, which is 05:45 CET. Due to the exceptional circumstances, there will be no media sessions with the riders following the farewell lap.

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Cancellation plays into Jorge Martin’s hands

From a sporting perspective, the cancellation is good news, at least for Jorge Martin. The Aprilia works rider would have missed the Grand Prix anyway following his injury in the Sprint race. Now, his title rivals will also be unable to score points on Sunday. This means Marc Márquez will have no opportunity to further extend the World Championship lead he took on Saturday in the main race.

Martin suffered a heavy crash in the sprint whilst battling for the lead with Marquez at the fast Turn 8. X-rays revealed a broken radius and a suspected additional fracture of the ulna near the wrist. The Spaniard was subsequently declared unfit to start Sunday’s race. It remains unclear how long he will be sidelined for.

Jorge Martin verletzte sich im Sprint auf Phillip Island

Foto: Gold and Goose

The points awarded in the sprint race stand. Marquez had won ahead of his brother Alex and Fabio di Giannantonio, leading a Ducati one-two-three. With Martin’s withdrawal, the defending champion took the lead in the World Championship. There will be no further changes to the Grand Prix schedule – Marco Bezzecchi will also be unable to reduce the gap on Sunday.

For Phillip Island, the final MotoGP weekend thus ends under unfortunate circumstances. A sunny Friday of free practice was followed by a wet qualifying session, a dry sprint race and, finally, a Sunday on which conditions prevented the race from starting. The final wave to the fans takes place behind the safety car. From 2027, the Australian Grand Prix is set to take place on the new street circuit in Adelaide.