Phillip Island MotoGP race cancelled as poor visibility keeps medical helicopters grounded
Sunday's MotoGP race at Phillip Island in Australia has been cancelled because of bad weather. MotoGP is the top class of motorcycle road racing, and this was set to be the last MotoGP race held at the Victorian circuit.
The day ran late from the start. Moto2 and Moto3, the two support classes that race before MotoGP, were cancelled earlier in the day. MotoGP then said its track action would not begin as scheduled, because reduced visibility meant the medical helicopter could not fly. Organisers pushed back the start by several hours in an attempt to stage the race, before deciding to cancel it.
The helicopter is the key link in the safety plan. BBC Sport reported that race director Graham Webb said the nearest hospital is more than 45 minutes away by road, so the circuit relies on air ambulance. He said the helicopter needs a window of around 60 minutes, at both Phillip Island and Melbourne, before a race can start.
The result matters for the title race too. Reigning champion Marc Marquez led the standings by 10 points with four races left at the time of the cancellation. Race organisers and MotoGP have not yet said how the lost race will affect the standings.
The circuit has a long history on the calendar. Apart from two years lost to the coronavirus pandemic, Phillip Island had been a fixture on the world championship calendar for 30 years. Mick Doohan clinched his fifth and final world title with a win there in 1998. Casey Stoner won six successive Australian MotoGP races between 2007 and 2012.
The venue is also changing. Reuters reported that this year's Australian Grand Prix marked the end of a long-term contract with the Victorian state government. The Australian MotoGP round is moving to a new street circuit in Adelaide from next season.
For fans who made the trip, the weekend ends without the final race that had been planned. For the riders, it is another reminder that on a windswept island, the weather can decide the programme as much as the lap times.
