MotoGP's final Australian GP at Phillip Island cancelled due to poor weather
Sunday's race at Phillip Island will not go ahead, MotoGP has confirmed
The Australian Grand Prix has been cancelled following multiple delays due to poor weather at Phillip Island, MotoGP has announced.
The last-ever MotoGP race at the iconic Phillip Island circuit was due to kick off at 2pm local time before being pushed back to 4:30pm to allow the weather to improve. However, 25 minutes before pitlane was due to open, the championship announced that the race had been called off.
While Melbourne continues to witness heavy rain, lack of visibility remained the chief problem, preventing MotoGP's medical helicopter from operating. The championship rules require the helicopter to remain on standby should a rider need to be airlifted to hospital.
"Due to limited visibility affecting the operation of the medical helicopter at the Red Bull Grand Prix of Australia, the MotoGP Grand Prix race has been cancelled," MotoGP said in a statement.
"As a farewell to the Island, the MotoGP riders will do a lap behind the safety car and stop on the main straight to greet the fans.
"Pitlane will open for the farewell lap at 15:45 local time."
Track action for the day was due to kick off at 9:40am with the MotoGP warm-up. But the session was rescheduled to 11am before being cancelled altogether. Moto3 and Moto2 races at Phillip Island were also called off one after the other as the day went on to prioritise the premier class.
This was followed by the news that the MotoGP race has also been cancelled.
Poor weather had been forecast throughout the weekend at Phillip Island, with conditions deteriorating on Sunday as expected.
There were discussions about MotoGP proactively altering the schedule at the start of the weekend, but no such changes were ultimately made.
All sessions on Saturday went ahead as per schedule, with qualifying taking place in wet conditions before the circuit dried in time for the sprint.
"So essentially at the moment there's a limitation on the medical helicopter to fly," MotoGP Race Director Graham Webber explained. "Like I say, there's bad weather in Melbourne and here, and so there's actually two places that we need to be able to say go, basically. So that helicopter needs a window of around 60 minutes in both places, Phillip Island and Melbourne, in order for us to start the race.
"Again, just based on safety, we need to make sure that if we do have any issues that we're covered, that we can get a rider quickly to hospital. Generally at some circuits we can use the road, so like with an ambulance, but unfortunately because the distance to the hospital is over 45 minutes, essentially we have to rely on that helicopter and therefore, yeah, we're really held by the weather really.
"So yeah, it's a bit of a shame, it's unusual, like I say, most circuits we can reach a hospital within 45 minutes, which is our regulation. But here in Phillip Island, the hospital is further than 45 minutes by road, therefore we rely on the air ambulance."