Marc Marquez will miss Phillip Island MotoGP after shoulder surgery

Marc Marquez will be absent from this weekend's Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island after undergoing surgery for a shoulder injury sustained on the opening lap of the Indonesian Grand Prix, his team said, leaving the 19th round of the 2025 MotoGP season more open than anticipated. The race weekend runs from October 17 to 19, with practice on Friday, qualifying and the Sprint on Saturday and the main race on Sunday at Phillip Island.

Marquez clinched the 2025 world championship with races to spare in Japan, but he will miss at least the next two rounds while recovering from a fractured right collarbone, according to team statements. Marco Bezzecchi, who collided with Marquez in Indonesia, has been handed a double long-lap penalty for the incident and will start the weekend under sanction. Jorge Martin and Maverick Vinales, both members of last year’s front row, are also not on the entry list for Australia, altering the usual pecking order.

The absence of Marquez and other front-runners has elevated multiple riders as potential winners at a circuit known for changeable weather and unpredictable race dynamics. Rookie Fermin Aldeguer recorded his first premier-class victory in...