Phillip Island MotoGP finale washed out: Marquez heads to Sepang 10 points clear

The last Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island has ended without a Grand Prix. Rain and low cloud swept over the circuit on Sunday 25 October, and organisers called off the MotoGP race. Poor visibility meant the medical helicopter could not fly, and a race cannot go ahead without it. Moto2 and Moto3 had already been scrapped earlier in the day. Marc Marquez therefore travels to the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang next weekend with the 10-point championship lead he took in Saturday's Sprint, ahead of the injured Jorge Martin.

A day lost to the weather

Forecasters had predicted between 15mm and 35mm of rain, strong winds and single-digit temperatures, and Sunday turned out that way. The morning warm-up was put back and then cancelled. The schedule kept slipping as officials waited for visibility to improve. Moto3 was the first race to be called off. Moto2 followed at the 2pm update. A provisional plan to open pit lane at around 4pm for a later MotoGP start never came to anything. Instead, riders were to complete a farewell lap behind the safety car and stop on the main straight to wave to the crowd. Phillip Island has hosted the Australian round for three decades. The race moves to a street circuit in Adelaide from 2027.

Saturday's Sprint decides the weekend

With no Grand Prix, the only MotoGP points at Phillip Island came from Saturday's 13-lap Sprint. Marquez started from pole and won by 0.323 seconds from his brother Alex, with Fabio Di Giannantonio third, which made it a Ducati one-two-three. Marco Bezzecchi was fourth on the Aprilia and Pedro Acosta fifth on the KTM. Ai Ogura crossed the line sixth but dropped to 13th after a tyre-pressure penalty, which moved Brad Binder up to sixth and Jack Miller to seventh.

Martin had come to Australia two points behind Marquez and was fighting him for the lead when he lost the front at the fast Turn 8 on lap eight. He was taken away on a stretcher. Aprilia later confirmed a non-displaced fracture of the distal radius in his right wrist. A CT scan ruled out a suspected second break in the ulna. Martin is not going back to Spain for treatment, so racing at Sepang is still possible, but Aprilia has not confirmed it. Another Aprilia rider, Trackhouse's Raul Fernandez, retired from the Sprint with a broken right index finger, an injury from a crash at the start of the Indonesian Sprint.

The title picture heading to Sepang

After the Sprint, Marquez has 365 points to Martin's 355. Bezzecchi is third on 315, then Acosta (263), Ogura (259), Di Giannantonio (252) and Fernandez (236). Four rounds remain: Malaysia, Qatar, Portugal and Valencia. A rider can score up to 37 points per weekend (12 for a Sprint win and 25 for a Grand Prix win), so 148 points are still available. That means seven riders are still mathematically in the title race. Because Sunday's race was cancelled, Martin's injury did not cost him any further ground.

Asian riders miss out

The cancellations hit several Asian riders hard. In Moto3, Indonesia's Veda Pratama had taken a historic pole, the first by an Indonesian rider in the class. Thailand's Kiattisak Singhapong had qualified ninth. Malaysia's Hakim Danish, who started from 23rd on the grid, also lost his chance to race. The Moto3 title had already been won by Maximo Quiles. The Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia runs at Sepang from 30 October to 1 November, with free entry to all seat zones on Friday.

Key takeaways

• The Australian MotoGP race at Phillip Island was cancelled because the medical helicopter could not fly in poor visibility. Moto2 and Moto3 were also cancelled.
• Marc Marquez won Saturday's Sprint and leads Jorge Martin by 10 points, 365 to 355.
• Martin has a non-displaced fracture of the right wrist (distal radius). His participation at Sepang is unconfirmed.
• Four rounds and 148 points remain, starting with Malaysia from 30 October to 1 November.
• This was the final Australian GP at Phillip Island before the event moves to Adelaide in 2027.

FAQ

Why was the Australian MotoGP cancelled? Heavy rain and low visibility meant the medical helicopter could not operate, and races cannot run safely without it.

Who leads the 2026 MotoGP championship? Marc Marquez, with 365 points to Jorge Martin's 355. Marco Bezzecchi is third on 315.

When is the Malaysian MotoGP? The Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia is at Sepang International Circuit from 30 October to 1 November 2026.

Sources: Crash.net, MCNews, Motorsport.com, Speedweek, Asian Motorsport, Sepang International Circuit