MILLER SAYS WEATHER WINDOWS COULD HAVE ALLOWED PHILLIP ISLAND RACE

Jack Miller remains deeply disappointed that Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island was cancelled, particularly because it was set to be his final MotoGP race in front of his home crowd at the circuit. It was also the last Australian GP scheduled for Phillip Island: from 2027, the race will move to Adelaide. The event was due to be Miller’s final home race as a grand prix rider before he moves to WorldSBK next year. Pramac Yamaha had prepared a special gold-and-green livery for the occasion, but he never got to race in it.

Speaking in Sepang on Thursday, Miller said the cancellation was “a punch in the gut” and that he could not put his feelings into words. He added that he had been unhappy with several aspects of how Sunday unfolded, but would leave those details for another conversation.

The race was called off because visibility was insufficient for the medical helicopter to fly; the decision was not based on the condition of the circuit itself. Miller acknowledged the safety concern, while noting that other riders, including Marc Marquez and Marco Bezzecchi, had said the track conditions were acceptable and a race could have taken place if not for the helicopter issue.

Miller believes there were opportunities to run the Grand Prix during the day. He pointed out that Melbourne has more than one hospital in the area and said it had not rained heavily throughout Sunday: “There were windows when we could have ridden.” He did not elaborate further, concluding that the decision had been made.

The cancellation was especially painful for Miller, who wanted to race before his home fans at Phillip Island. He is now preparing for his fourth-last MotoGP event, this weekend in Malaysia, although the number of races left in his premier-class career depends on whether the following week’s Qatar Grand Prix goes ahead. If it is cancelled, only Portimao and Valencia would remain after Malaysia.

The Sepang circuit is familiar to riders and teams, and Miller said they had spent six days there earlier in the year during pre-season testing. He is keen to return and assess how much his bike has progressed since then. Miller described riding in Malaysia’s heat as enjoyable and said he was looking forward to getting started. With the forecast looking typically Malaysian, he offered a pointed wish for Sunday: “Hopefully it pours with rain and the helicopter can fly.”