As MotoGP heads to Australia for its final-ever Grand Prix at Phillip Island before moving to Adelaide in 2027, just two points separate title rivals Jorge Martin and Marc Marquez in a tight 2026 championship fight.
The end of an era at Phillip Island
For the final MotoGP weekend at Phillip Island, the stakes couldn’t be higher as the championship battle rages on and unpredictable weather threatens to throw a curveball.
This weekend marks the 30th and final edition of a MotoGP Grand Prix being held at Phillip Island, a true jewel of the calendar, before the championship shifts to Adelaide’s new street circuit from 2027 onwards.
Jack Miller’s farewell
This weekend also marks Jack Miller’s final home race as a full-time MotoGP rider. The Aussie will however come back to the iconic track in mid-February as a WorldSBK rider for Yamaha. A new homegrown star will represent the country in Adelaide next year, as current Moto2 rider Senna Agius moves up to MotoGP with Tech3.
Though Miller’s last podium in his home Grand Prix dates back to 2019 when he secured P3, the Townsville native will aim to end on a high note, capitalising on the “ever-changing conditions” at Phillip Island as “the rain will be his biggest fan this weekend.”
“Phillip Island is a track where if you haven’t got the bike working amazingly, you can still make up a bit of a difference once you get the thing wound up pretty good,” reminds local hero Jack Miller.
This exact trait is why Trackhouse Racing’s Raul Fernandez secured his maiden MotoGP victory here last season.
The title race heats up
At the top of the standings, Jorge Martin and Marc Marquez remain locked in an intense battle for the crown. Last time out in Mandalika, Marquez managed to avoid losing a single point to his main rival on a track he deemed to be the worst of the season for Ducati. However, Martin still leads the championship with a narrow two-point advantage over his closest rival.
Still, history favours Marquez arriving in Australia. With four wins at the venue, the Cervera native holds more victories than any other rider on the current grid, though it’s two less than Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner’s six successes apiece. Moreover, Phillip Island is an anti-clockwise circuit, a layout that suits the Spaniard’s riding style. Out of four races on such tracks this season, he has dominated three of them at Balaton Park, Sachsenring, and Motorland Aragon.
Marco Bezzecchi’s advantage on Martin and Marquez
One crucial element coming into play for the remainder of the season is track experience. Of the top three in the standings, only Marco Bezzecchi has extensive data around the final few circuits remaining on the 2026 calendar. With the exception of Lusail and Valencia, Jorge Martin has never raced elsewhere on his Aprilia RS-GP, while Marc Marquez has experience with the GP23 on only four of the final five tracks.
Meanwhile, Marco Bezzecchi stands at 309 points, lagging 44 units behind the factory Ducati rider. Though positioned as an outsider, the Italian holds an edge over the top two, knowing how his RS-GP behaves around these circuits.
With tricky weather conditions and unique technical characteristics, riding style will make a bigger difference this weekend than at almost any other stop on the calendar. As rain threatens to hit the island, anything can happen during Round 18 of the 2026 MotoGP season.
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