PHILLIP ISLAND SET FOR ITS FINAL AUSTRALIAN MOTOGP ROUND IN 2026

The 2026 Australian Grand Prix will be MotoGP’s final visit to Phillip Island before the event moves to Adelaide in 2027. The change is a disappointment to many fans and riders, according to the report, which notes that the circuit has hosted the championship’s Australian round since 1997, apart from cancellations in 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic.

Set beside the sea, Phillip Island is one of the fastest tracks on the calendar. Its 4.45-kilometre layout features five right-hand and seven left-hand corners, plus a 900-metre start-finish straight. Casey Stoner holds the record for most premier-class wins at the Australian venue, with six; Valentino Rossi has five and Marc Marquez four.

Aprilia riders led the way there in 2025: factory rider Marco Bezzecchi won the Sprint, while Trackhouse’s Raul Fernandez took the Grand Prix. This year, Jorge Martin arrives as championship leader, with reigning champion Marc Marquez just two points behind in second place.

European viewers will need an early start to follow the action. The MotoGP Sprint is scheduled for 6am CEST on Saturday, October 24. Overnight, clocks in Central Europe go back one hour for the switch to winter time, putting Sunday’s Grand Prix at 4am CET on October 25.

Friday’s programme begins at midnight CEST with Moto3 practice, followed by Moto2 and MotoGP sessions. MotoGP’s one-hour Practice starts at 6am. Saturday’s MotoGP qualifying runs from 1.50am, with Q1 and Q2, before the 13-lap Sprint at 6am. Sunday’s schedule includes a 10-minute MotoGP warm-up at 12.40am, the 21-lap Moto3 race at 2am and the 23-lap Moto2 race at 2.15am. The 27-lap MotoGP Grand Prix is due to start at 4am CET.