Pedro Acosta: MotoGP has to be “grateful” to Phillip Island despite “sad” goodbye

Despite an underwhelming conclusion, MotoGP must be “grateful” to Phillip Island for its time there, says Pedro Acosta.

Having first hosted MotoGP back in 1989, but will drop off the calendar next season as Adelaide takes over as the location for the Australian Grand Prix.

The move to Adelaide has been controversial because, although Phillip Island comes with many complications such as its remoteness and the unreliability of its late-season weather, it has an iconic and unique layout that typically produces excellent racing.

This was proven once again in Saturday’s Sprint, as Jorge Martin and Marc Marquez battled for several laps before the former crashed out at the high-speed turn eight and broke his wrist.

On Sunday, though, it’s been the complicated Phillip Island weather that has had the last word in the circuit’s MotoGP story, with poor visibility for medical helicopters forcing the final race there to be abandoned today.

For KTM’s Pedro Acosta, bad weather was his best chance of fighting for the podium or victory, but the severity of the conditions ultimately cost him the chance to race at all – a “sad” way to leave the iconic circuit behind, the Murcian says.

“I was asking for rain but I was not asking for that wind, you know,” Acosta told TNT Sports after the race was cancelled.

“A bit sad to say goodbye to the Island like that. 

“But we enjoyed many good races around the Island.

“For this we have to be very grateful to the Island, to the fans, and to all that Phillip Island gave to us.”

MotoGP has four remaining scheduled races in 2026, with Malaysia and Qatar due to complete the triple-header with Australia, while Portimao and Valencia go back-to-back in November to end the season.