The 2026 Australian MotoGP Grand Prix takes place from Friday, October 23, to Sunday, October 25, at Phillip Island, as the championship enters the final five rounds of the season.
Jorge Martín arrives in Australia leading the standings with 355 points, just two ahead of Ducati’s Marc Márquez. Marco Bezzecchi remains third, 46 points behind Martín, after winning the Indonesian Grand Prix.
The Australian round follows Aprilia’s historic domination at Mandalika, where the manufacturer secured the first four positions but failed to extend Martín’s championship advantage.
Australian MotoGP 2026 schedule — Phillip Island local time
| Date | Session | Local time (AEDT) |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, October 23 | Free Practice 1 | 10:45 |
| Friday, October 23 | Practice | 15:00 |
| Saturday, October 24 | Free Practice 2 | 10:10 |
| Saturday, October 24 | Qualifying 1 | 10:50 |
| Saturday, October 24 | Qualifying 2 | 11:15 |
| Saturday, October 24 | sprint | 15:00 |
All times are Phillip Island local time (AEDT, UTC+11).
What time is the Australian MotoGP sprint?
The Australian MotoGP sprint takes place on Saturday, October 24, at 15:00 AEDT.
| Country | sprint start |
|---|---|
| Australia — Melbourne/Sydney | Saturday 15:00 |
| United Kingdom | Saturday 05:00 |
| India | Saturday 09:30 |
| United States — Eastern | Saturday 00:00 |
| New Zealand | Saturday 17:00 |
The sprint will cover 13 laps of Phillip Island and award championship points to the first nine finishers.
When is the Australian MotoGP race?
The Australian Grand Prix is scheduled for Sunday, October 25. The precise race start time should be checked against the final official event timetable before publication, as the available calendar pages do not provide a consistent confirmed 2026 race-session time.
Martín and Márquez resume championship battle
Martín reclaimed the championship lead at Mandalika after Márquez temporarily moved ahead during the Indonesian sprint.
Aprilia is also discussing possible team orders as the title battle intensifies, with Bezzecchi, Raúl Fernández and Ai Ogura capable of influencing the results.
The Australian Grand Prix is followed by Malaysia on November 1, Qatar on November 8, Portugal on November 22 and Valencia on November 29.
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