Saturday at Phillip Island turned the title fight. Jorge Martin crashed out of a sprint duel with Marc Marquez, fractured his right radius and is out of Sunday’s race, leaving Marquez ten points clear. Raúl Fernández joined him on the sidelines, Honda’s factory squad has no riders, and rain is forecast for tomorrow.

The main story: Martin’s crash

Martin and Marquez traded the lead for eight laps before the Aprilia rider crashed at Turn 8. Neil Hodgson called it a “greedy” mistake: Martin touched the kerb, turned in late and aggressively, and the front tyre let go. Aprilia confirmed a fractured right radius and a suspected distal fracture of the right ulna. Martin had led the championship by two points before the sprint. Full story

• Aprilia’s statement says further examinations will follow, and the Malaysian and Qatar rounds are close.
• Martin was upbeat from hospital: “I’m alive, and that’s what matters most.” He is heading to Melbourne for scans.

The sprint and the title fight

Marquez won the sprint and took 12 points. He admitted Martin was faster: “I understood perfectly that Martín was much faster when he led a lap.” He hopes for 25 points or a podium tomorrow. and

Alex Marquez finished second, completing a one-two, and said attacking his brother was “far too risky”. Fabio Di Giannantonio took third for an all-Ducati podium. and . Di Giannantonio blamed wind and a bump at Turn 8 for Martin’s crash and said Marc eased off afterwards. He also said he “nearly killed myself” signalling to Diogo Moreira in the gusts.

Marco Bezzecchi, third in the standings and 50 points behind Marquez, started ninth, fell to 12th and recovered to fourth. He now carries Aprilia’s hopes: “It’s not over yet, this championship is crazy.” , , ,

Who might help Marquez in the run-in is the subject of a long analysis. Marc’s own view: “If you have the speed, you don’t need help.”

Elsewhere in the sprint

• Pedro Acosta was fifth and complained of KTM vibrations and a loose front end. and
• Johann Zarco started on the front row but retired with a gearbox sensor fault. He hopes rain gives LCR Honda a chance. and
• Ai Ogura was demoted from sixth to 13th for low front tyre pressure, which promoted Jack Miller to seventh. Ogura admits he must fix his wet-weather pace. and
• Miller took his first sprint points of the weekend on home soil. He beat Yamaha teammate Fabio Quartararo, who came from 19th to 11th.
• Francesco Bagnaia retired with a mechanical problem after missing Q2 on a tyre-strategy error. , ,

Thin grid

Fernández was declared unfit after inflammation around a fractured right index finger worsened. Six riders miss the race and the grid is down to 18. He will be re-examined in Malaysia next Thursday. and

Luca Marini was ruled out with a viral infection and Joan Mir is also absent, leaving Honda’s factory team without riders. Alberto Puig says Mir has a “green light” for Sepang. Mir posted “See you in Malaysia”.

Rider market

Bagnaia’s agent Carlo Pernat says the 2027 move to Aprilia is driven by “vengeance” against Marquez. Andrea Dovizioso says he has never seen a situation like Bagnaia’s and is worried by what he sees in his eyes.

Rules and calendar

Around two-thirds of riders reportedly voted against travelling to Qatar (6 to 8 November) without safety and evacuation guarantees, though organisers insist the race will go ahead. Maverick Viñales says his KTM contract lets him miss only three races before his pay is cut, which is why he races hurt.

History and the support classes

• Mick Doohan received his Hall of Fame medal and reflected on Phillip Island leaving the calendar for Adelaide next season.
• Manuel Gonzalez took Moto2 pole, with local rider Senna Agius seventh after a late crash.
• Veda Pratama became the first Indonesian Moto3 pole-sitter, by 0.021 seconds from Maximo Quiles.

What to watch tomorrow

Rain is forecast for the Australian Grand Prix, and Marquez expects “much more water” and more critical mistakes. Alex Marquez says 27 wet laps need patience, and Zarco, Miller and Quartararo are all eyeing the conditions. Watch Bezzecchi from ninth on the grid, Bagnaia targeting the top ten, and Marc’s chance to stretch his ten-point lead without Martin on the grid.