MotoGP riders prepare for 'emotional' farewell to Phillip Island

Phillip Island, a beloved circuit in MotoGP, prepares for its final race after nearly three decades. Seven-time world champion Marc Marquez admits the weekend will be emotional, as the picturesque track with its waterfront location and demanding layout is set to move to Melbourne's Albert Park. The Victorian government fiercely defended keeping the race at Phillip Island, but South Australia stepped in, securing the event for six years starting in 2027 in Adelaide.

Marquez, who heads into the weekend two points behind Jorge Martin in the championship standings, expressed his emotional attachment to the track, having won one of his first races with Ducati there. Teammate Francesco Bagnaia, too, is sad to see the circuit go, as his third- and second-place finishes in 2022 and 2023 were crucial to his title-winning efforts.

With five rounds remaining, the title fight has narrowed down to a three-way battle between Martin, Marquez, and Marco Bezzecchi, who won the last race in Indonesia. Aprilia's Bezzecchi trails Marquez by 44 points and is 50 points ahead of fourth-placed Ai Ogura. Both Martin and Marquez missed last year's Australian race due to injury, with Spain's Raul Fernandez seizing his chance to win for the first time.

Fernandez, currently seventh in the standings, expressed his own melancholy about the circuit's departure, having enjoyed many memorable races there in various categories.