The helicopter prevents Marc Márquez from clinching the World Championship in Australia

BarcelonaThe Philip Island circuit did not deserve this ending after three decades of being a benchmark event in the Motorcycle World Championship. But at the same time, this ending helps to understand why the MotoGP management decided to do without an iconic track. The rain, the wind, and, above all, the fog have prevented the riders from competing in any of the three races scheduled for this Sunday. And, especially, the premier class one, where Marc Márquez had the opportunity to practically seal the title.

MotoGP's safety regulations are very strict and Philip Island was a nest of problems, because the nearest hospital is in Melbourne and it cannot be accessed by road: it must be done by helicopter. And the weather conditions made it impossible for doctors to act quickly in the event of a serious accident. A fairly likely hypothesis on a Sunday where the weather was clearly adverse. That is why the organizers have suspended all races (Moto3, Moto2, and MotoGP) despite waiting a few hours in case conditions changed. That was not the case. "Philip Island did not deserve a last race with a cancellation," said Márquez. The riders, mind you, did one last exhibition lap to say goodbye to the fans who had traveled to the circuit.

It was supposed to be a favorable Sunday for Marc Márquez, the great favorite after his triumph in the short race on Saturday. And, above all, because his rival in the championship, Jorge Martín, injured his wrist in a fall during the sprint and could not compete. Therefore, the rider from Cervera could have left Australian territory with a hypothetical 35-point lead with only four Grand Prix races left to contest. A whole world. In the end, it is only 10. The doubt is whether Jorge Martín will be in a condition to ride next weekend in Malaysia. The Madrid-born rider wants to try, and for that reason, he has not returned to Spain, but will instead stay with the entire MotoGP expedition. On Thursday, the medical services will determine whether he is fit to ride or not.

Thus, Phillip Island, that twisty circuit with views of the ocean, falls from the World Championship. But this does not mean that Australia will be left without a Grand Prix. Starting in 2027, the bikes will race in Adelaide, a 4.13-kilometer circuit with 15 turns, with some sectors passing through urban territory. It will be a step forward on a logistical level, thus ending the difficulties for teams to transport equipment and, also, to find accommodation for everyone on this island in the south of Australia. The contract with Adelaide, which has generated controversy in the oceanic country due to its environmental impact, runs until 2032 and is framed within the desire to associate MotoGP with large cities, with the promotional impact that this entails. A strategy that Formula 1 has also been following for years.

Saturday's short race, the farewell

Therefore, Saturday's sprint race ended up being, without knowing it, the farewell to Philip Island. A day in which everything went Marc Márquez's way, as first he took the pole position, then he won the short race, a success that allowed him to recover the first position in the World Championship. And in the process, he saw his great rival, Jorge Martín, suffer a fall and a wrist injury.

The overtakes between Marc Márquez and Jorge Martín brought a lot of excitement to the sprint race, but on the eighth lap Martín made a mistake, crashed, and ended up in the hospital with a fractured radius and further arm injuries. "It hurts a lot, I lost control and couldn't pull my arm out," he said resignedly. In the coming hours, he will undergo further tests that will determine if he will miss more races in the next few weeks.

Marc Márquez was thus able to add his ninth victory of the season in a sprint race, with his brother Alex in second position. A perfect celebration at the Márquez home, then. The Italian Di Giannantonio finished third. Marc regained the top position in the general classification and now has a ten-point lead over Martín and 50 over Marco Bezzecchi, who finished fourth on Saturday.