The last dance at Phillip Island was not a dance as such. Just a funeral march with the drivers behind the safety car during two laps of honor around the circuit. It would have been the 30th edition of the Australian GP on the iconic track located southeast of Melbourne, an island full of natural beauty and therefore exposed to weather extremes, a favorite circuit for runners and a real puzzle for the event's organizers.
Without a race on the asphalt, the 2026 World Cup remains open with Marc Márquez and Jorge Martín separated by 10 points in the table. And even more so with the unknown of whether the Qatar GP will be able to be held in two weeks' time due to the conflict in the Middle East. First, next week, the Madrid driver has already announced that he will try to race in the Malaysian GP despite breaking the radius in his right arm in the sprint on Saturday. If the four grand prizes are contested in their entirety, there are 148 points at stake and a whole world still.
With rain, wind and fog from early in the morning, it soon became clear that going ahead with the test would be complicated. The poor visibility on the island bathed by the Bass Strait, in the Tasman Sea, caused successive delays of the track activity for safety reasons: since the medical helicopter could not fly with guarantees, the races could not be held. The delay took its toll first on Moto3, then on Moto2, where the title is also in a fist, and finally on MotoGP.
"We must ensure that, in the event of any unforeseen event, we are covered and can transport a pilot to the hospital quickly. On some circuits it is possible to use the road network - by means of an ambulance, for example - but, unfortunately, since the journey to the hospital exceeds 45 minutes, we necessarily depend on the helicopter," explained Graham Webber, the race director. Not only was there poor visibility on the island, but also in Melbourne, a detail that further complicated the attempt to find a one-hour window to be able to compete in the test.
"Phillip Island did not deserve a last day like this. As drivers, we were prepared to compete in the race, but without a medical helicopter it was not possible, and I am really sorry for the fans," commented Marc Márquez, current champion and leader of the competition, the last winner on the island after his exhibition on Saturday. "It is a sin to finish like this at Phillip Island, but the safety of the riders comes first. For us it is a missed opportunity, Marc was the favorite here in these conditions. We know that Jorge, whom we know very well, is a very dangerous rival for the title despite the fracture he suffered on Saturday," said Davide Tardozzi, his team manager at Ducati.
Faced with a similar weather forecast, in 2023 MotoGP decided to advance the grand prix to Saturday to avoid its cancellation, on a circuit that never liked its late scheduling, between the months of October and November. Although there were negotiations for it, it was never able to get ahead of the first leg of the World Championship due to the calendar conflict with the Formula 1 event in Melbourne and other logistical and economic complications.
While uncertainty reigned in the soaked paddock, another unique race did begin in the hospital. Martín intends to achieve a heroic performance next week in Sepang, with the battle for the title still open. Successive imaging tests at the hospital confirmed that the fracture in the ulna is without bone displacement, so the 28-year-old driver from Madrid will try to recover in record time and ride in Malaysia to look for the points that will keep his chances for the title alive.
“We are optimistic, we want to see him in Sepang, but we still don't know what condition he will be in then,” commented Paolo Bonora, his team manager at Aprilia. In the Italian garage they were happy for the oxygen tank for the 2024 champion, but at the same time sad for the lost opportunity for Marco Bezzecchi, third in contention in the fight for the championship, 50 points behind the Ducati leader.
Hours after Dani Pedrosa, Andrea Dovizioso and another couple of riders competed in a MotoGP exhibition in Austin, within the framework of the Formula 1 United States GP that takes place thousands of kilometers away, that was all the motorcycling action that the fans could see on Sunday from Australia. The disappointment for both was enormous. “Thank you all for enduring the downpour, you deserved the race today more than anyone,” lamented Jack Miller, a local idol who is saying goodbye to MotoGP this year.
Adelaide takes over, which must first resolve the legal problems and local opposition that have managed to temporarily suspend construction work on the first entirely urban MotoGP headquarters, with a scheduled opening date of November 12 to 14 next year. Heading to Malaysia, 'hooroo', Phillip Island.
