The Australian Grand Prix, the 18th round of the MotoGP World Championship, was cancelled on Sunday after severe weather conditions made it unsafe for racing to proceed.
Organisers called off all three scheduled races — MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 — following heavy rainfall and deteriorating visibility at the Phillip Island Circuit.
In an official statement, organisers explained that the weather had also disrupted essential emergency arrangements.
“The MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 races of the Australian Grand Prix have been canceled due to severe weather conditions and poor visibility preventing medical helicopter operations,” the statement said.
The inability to operate medical helicopters was a major safety concern, preventing organisers from proceeding with the races.
Despite the cancellation, riders took to the circuit for a symbolic lap behind the safety car to acknowledge spectators who had gathered for the event.
After completing the lap, the riders stopped on the main straight to greet fans and bid farewell to the Phillip Island Circuit.
The occasion carried particular significance as the Australian venue is set to be removed from the MotoGP calendar next year.
The symbolic procession therefore marked the circuit’s final scheduled appearance on the championship calendar.
Following the cancellation of the Australian round, attention now turns to the next race of the MotoGP World Championship.
The Malaysian Grand Prix, the 19th round of the season, is scheduled to take place on November 1.
The championship will resume in Malaysia after severe weather brought the Australian race weekend to an unexpected conclusion.