The curtain comes down at Phillip Island on Sunday as the track hosts MotoGP Australia for the final time before the race heads for the streets of Adelaide from 2027.
And the man to beat is clearly Marc Marquez, with the Spaniard having enjoyed a truly outstanding Saturday by putting a massive gap between himself and the rest of the field in qualifying, before winning the Sprint Race to take a 10-point lead in the MotoGP championship standings.
Seven-time world champion Marquez was boosted by main title rival Jorge Martin crashing during the sprint and an arm injury means that Martin will be forced to miss Sunday’s race and probably lose further ground in the title race.
Home fans were treated to Jack Miller finishing fifth in qualifying to raise hopes of an Australian challenge.
However, Sunday may prove far trickier and he is highly unlikely to become the fourth Australian to win his home race and follow in the tyre treads of Casey Stoner, Mick Doohan and Wayne Gardner.
MotoGP Australia Tips Summary
Best Bet - Marc Marquez to win @ 1.33
Alternative Bet - Marco Bezzecchi each-way @ 13.00
MotoGP Australia Prediction
Best Bet: Marc Marquez to win @ 1.33
Marc Marquez was so far ahead of the rest of the field in qualifying that you simply cannot start anywhere but with the seven-time MotoGP world champion winning the race in Australia for the fifth time in his amazing career.
That is even more the case after fellow Spaniard Martin was ruled out of the race, having suffered a suspected double fracture of an arm in his spill in the Sprint Race.
For the record Marc Marquez was an astonishing +1.494 seconds quicker than anyone else in qualifying, an advantage which leaves every other rider knowing that they will be battling for second place if the Spaniard remains upright.
The only slight bit of good news for the rest of the pack is that Marc Marquez does mix up victories with less impressive results, having not finished on the podium this season in any race apart from the six which he has won.
Alternative Bet: Marco Bezzecchi each-way @ 13.00
Alex Marquez was the closest rider to brother Marc in qualifying on Saturday and backed that up with second place in the Sprint Race.
However, an Italian challenge is a real possibility on Sunday, with Fabio Di Giannantonio and Marco Bezzecchi coming home third and fourth respectively in the Sprint, having finished in second and third places in the main race 12 months ago.
Bezzecchi is still in the title shake-up as he trails Marc Marquez by 50 points and his consistency means that he is a true candidate to perhaps push for victory on the farewell to Phillip Island.
The 27-year-old Rimini native has won five races - including the first three - this season, while finishing on the podium in 11 of the 12 Grands Prix that he has completed, with his five failures to finish keeping him off the championship pace.
Bezzecchi took the chequered flag last time out in Indonesia and third place in Australia last year should give him confidence to move up swiftly from the third row of the grid.
Key Race Stats
Phillip Island stages MotoGP Australia for the final time, having hosted the race since 1997
Standings leader Marc Marquez (2015, 2017, 2019, 2024) is a four-time winner of MotoGP Australia
Raul Fernandez claimed a surprise win in 2025, with Marquez absent due to injury
Fabio Di Giannantonio and Marco Bezzecchi finished second and third 12 months ago
Johan Zarco (2023) and Maverick Vinales (2018) are the only other previous winners in the field
Read more MotoGP betting tips and predictions on site.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
