Winners and Losers: 2026 cancelled MotoGP Australian Grand Prix
MotoGP’s last visit to Phillip Island did not go as expected, with the Grand Prix having to be cancelled. Poor weather conditions hindered the visibility of the medical helicopter, proving unsafe for the riders to take to the track.
However, this does not mean that the Australian Grand Prix did not leave a mark in the overall championship fight, as track activities from Friday to Saturday occurred as scheduled and their consequences might prove vital. Here are all the winners and losers from MotoGP’s short trip to Australia:
Winner: Jorge Martín
What could’ve been a catastrophic weekend for the Aprilia rider actually turned out to go in his favour. Jorge Martín crashed out of the Saturday sprint, losing the lead to his rival, Marc Márquez.
A more concerning development saw Martín suffer a wrist fracture, which could’ve ruled him out of contention on Sunday, and left the door wide open for Marc Márquez to distance himself even further in the standings. This looked to be all the more obvious, with the reigning world champion set to start from pole.
With the cancellation of the race, Martín remains only 10 points away from first place in the standings, but whether he will be able to take the start this week in Malaysia is still uncertain.
Winner: Raúl Fernández
After he managed to qualify in sixth, Raúl Fernández crashed out of the sprint and, similarly to Martín, announced that he would retire from the rest of the weekend. His collision with Marco Bezzecchi at Mandalika left the Spaniard with a fracture to his right index finger, marking a painful return in Australia.
The cancellation of the race gave the Spaniard the opportunity of going into Malaysia without losing significant points, while also potentially maintaining his momentum from the Indonesian Grand Prix, where he challenged for the win.
Loser: Marc Márquez
Although he reclaimed the title lead, Marc Márquez surely left Australia a bit disappointed. The Spaniard appeared set to conclude another perfect weekend in MotoGP, qualifying on pole and winning in the sprint race.
Even better for the reigning world champion, his main title rival was out of contention after scoring no points in the sprint, and Bezzecchi was only set to start from eighth on the grid. What could’ve been the most important weekend in Marc Márquez’s 2026 season turned out to be nothing more than a 12-point recovery.
Loser: Marco Bezzecchi
Despite an underwhelming qualifying that left him eighth on the grid, Bezzecchi was able to climb to fourth in Saturday’s sprint.
His teammate was due to be out of contention, and although Marc Márquez had won the sprint and was the favourite going into the Grand Prix, the Italian still had the chance to make out some positions and therefore, some more points.
With every race weekend that passes, Bezzecchi’s task of outscoring his championship rivals becomes all the more difficult, and one less Grand Prix to do so may prove fatal to his title chances. Can Bezzecchi still win the championship? It remains to be seen over the next series of weekends.
Loser: Jack Miller
MotoGP’s last Phillip Island visit also marked Jack Miller’s last home race as he prepares to leave the championship in 2027. The Australian rider was set to start from fourth on the grid, and came dressed for the occasion, sporting a special suit and livery design celebrating the moment.
Sadly for him and his home fans, Miller did not get the chance to race on Sunday, but a special rider parade behind the safety car was organised, and the home hero was able to bid farewell to his fans one last time.
Miller took to social media for another goodbye, writing: “B***dy hell, Phillip Island. You really know how to break a bloke’s heart. Pretty gutted to be honest. My last home MotoGP race and we didn’t even get to race. After such a strong weekend, it’s a tough one to swallow.
“But to every single one of you who turned up, braved the traffic, the rain and the b***dy awful weather to support us, THANK YOU!! You guys have been absolutely unreal, not just this weekend but throughout my whole MotoGP career.
“It’s been an absolute privilege racing in front of you lot for the last decade. From the bottom of my heart, thanks for all the memories, Phillip Island. I’ll cherish them forever.”
Extra loser: MotoGP fans
There’s nothing MotoGP fans would want more than to watch races, especially this year’s Australian Grand Prix.
The build-up to the race was filled with excitement, and it’s a shame for one of MotoGP’s most beloved tracks to not host its last race, but perhaps Phillip Island deserved something more special than an ordinary Grand Prix.
Only four race weekends are left in the season, and surely the riders cannot wait to return to the track. Tune in to the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday, 1 November, from 15:00 local time (07:00 GMT)!
Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
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