‘Pissing me off’: Aussie’s Phillip Island washout pain
Sebastian Tan |
Australian Jack Miller was not happy to say the least that Phillip Island was denied a sparkling swansong finish to an almost three-decade tenure after the final MotoGP race at the island circuit was cancelled.
Persistent poor weather wreaked havoc in Victoria on Sunday, and there were signs that organisers’ worst nightmares would be realised when they cancelled the Moto2 and Moto3 races, along with MotoGP’s practice session.
And just before the riders were set to take the circuit at 4pm (AEDT), officials decided to call off the race.
“Due to limited visibility affecting the operation of the medical helicopter, the MotoGP Grand Prix race has been cancelled,” a statement on MotoGP’s social media page read.
“The MotoGP riders will do a lap behind the safety car and stop on the main straight to greet the fans. Pit lane will open for the farewell lap at 15.45 local time.”
The parade lap provided spectators a modicum of happiness as Queenslander Miller produced a massive wheelie and a burnout.
But ultimately, the sole Australian in the competition was left devastated, especially as Sunday’s race was meant to be his last at home as he moves to the Superbike World Championships next year.
“We all have (grown). I’ve seen kids coming here since they were in nappies and now they come up to me with a deep voice,” Miller told MotoGP.
“It’s been an absolute pleasure racing in front of you guys. You are the best fans in the world and sorry we had to skip another one. This is pissing me off so much.”
It was the first cancellation of the main MotoGP race at Phillip Island since the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving a sell-out crowd disappointed.
Miller was also looking to become the first Australian to win a home MotoGP race since Casey Stoner in 2012.
To make matters worse, Australian Moto2 rider Senna Agius was denied the opportunity to compete for back-to-back Phillip Island victories after winning last year’s race.
But it will hurt much more for the fans who won’t see any MotoGP races for at least six years.
The final race on the historic course followed the Victorian government’s rejection of shifting the competition to Melbourne’s Albert Park, and MotoGP subsequently moved the race to Adelaide from November 2027.
The move has caused a stir within the motorsport community, with Stoner calling Phillip Island “one of the greatest motorcycle circuits in the entire world”.
One star who will be relieved is Aprilia Racing’s Jorge Martin, who wasn’t going to take part in Sunday’s race after fracturing his wrist in a horror fall during the sprint race on Saturday.
If the race went ahead, he could’ve fallen further behind in the championship standings after surrendering the lead to reigning champion Marc Marquez.
AAP