No helicopter, no race
The last MotoGP race at Phillip Island will never be run. Organisers called off Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix at 3:30 p.m. local time after heavy rain and low cloud kept the medical helicopter on the ground. The Australian Grand Prix Corporation put it plainly: racing cannot take place without the helicopter able to fly.
The decision capped a long day of waiting. Morning warm-up was scrapped, the Moto3 and Moto2 races were cancelled during the weather delays, and so was the third Australian Superbikes race. The MotoGP start, planned for 2 p.m., slid back with hopes of a 4:30 p.m. window that never opened.
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A lap behind the safety car
Instead of a grand prix, the MotoGP field was scheduled to ride one lap behind the safety car at 3:45 p.m. and stop on the main straight to greet the crowd. Jack Miller said goodbye to the fans after the cancellation. Trackside extras, including a legends lap with Mick Doohan, Casey Stoner and Wayne Gardner, went the same way as the racing.
Sunday ticketholders will be refunded in full, and multi-day ticketholders will receive partial refunds.
Marquez keeps his lead, and Adelaide waits
Marc Marquez went into the day ten points clear of Jorge Martin after winning Saturday’s Sprint. Martin was ruled out of the race with a fractured right forearm from that same Sprint. The reports did not say how the title standings will be treated after a day without a race. Maximo Quiles had already clinched the Moto3 crown.
After three decades at the seaside circuit, the Australian round moves to a street course in Adelaide in 2027.
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