Last MotoGP race at Phillip Island cancelled due to bad weather
Melbourne, Oct 25 (IANS) The last Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island was cancelled on Sunday due to bad weather, as Marc Marquez was denied a chance to extend his MotoGP title lead over the injured Jorge Martin.
The race was delayed first before the organisers decided to cancel the race due to rain and poor visibility. The original time to start the race was 2 pm local time (8:30 AM IST); however, it was pushed back to 4:30 pm to wait for the weather to improve.
However, the organisers pulled the plug 25 minutes before the pitlane was due to open due to poor visibility. The Moto2 and Moto3 races were also cancelled.
"Due to limited visibility affecting the operation of the medical helicopter at the Red Bull Grand Prix of Australia, the MotoGP Grand Prix race, in addition to the Moto2 and Moto3 races, has been cancelled," MotoGP confirmed in a statement.
Meanwhile, the organisers confirmed that the spectators in the stands would get to see the riders doing a parade lap behind the safety car as the track bid adieu to the sport.
This was a blow to reigning world champion Marquez, who missed out on a chance to extend his championship gap to Martin, who was anyway going to miss the race due to the fracture he sustained during the Sprint crash on Saturday.
The Ducati rider had won the sprint and had taken the lead of 10 points in the championship, despite being 12 points behind ahead of the Australian GP.
It is not confirmed whether Martin would return for the next race in Malaysia. His team, Aprilia, shared an update on his injury and stated that he won't be returning home for treatment, which gives hope for his return.
"Jorge Martin underwent a CT scan to assess his condition following yesterday’s injury. The only confirmed injury is a non-displaced fracture of the distal radius. Consequently, the rider will not be returning to Spain and will undergo the necessary treatment over the coming days," Aprilia said, as quoted by MotoGP.
--IANS
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