Phillip Island’s cancelled MotoGP round cost Jack Miller what was meant to be his final home appearance in the premier class. The event was also scheduled to become the last MotoGP race at the Victorian circuit, before Miller moves to WorldSBK next year. For the four-time MotoGP winner, the lost opportunity carried an obvious personal weight: he described the cancellation as a “punch in the stomach”.

Pramac Yamaha had prepared a distinctive gold-and-green livery for Miller’s farewell in front of his home crowd, but he never got to race the bike. The decision was not attributed to the condition of the Phillip Island track. Instead, visibility was insufficient for the medical helicopter to operate safely. Miller added that he was unhappy with several aspects of how Sunday unfolded, while choosing not to discuss those points in greater detail at the time.

Speaking on Thursday at the Malaysian Grand Prix, Miller also questioned the wider context around the decision. He noted that the Melbourne area has more than one hospital and said the day had included breaks in the rain during which racing might have been possible. The next Qatar Grand Prix was still uncertain. If Qatar went ahead, Malaysia would be the fourth-from-final round of Miller’s premier-class career; if it did not, only Portimao and Valencia would follow in his remaining MotoGP schedule.