Motorsport great Wayne Gardner vents over MotoGP at Phillip Island suggesting race be moved

The Phillip Island Motorcycle Grand Prix track bears his name but legend of the sport Wayne Gardner says the event is dying and should be moved to another state.

Motorcycle champ Wayne Gardner in 2018. He has now unleashed on the Australian MotoGP event at Phillip Island. Picture: Stuart McEvoy

Motorsport great Wayne Gardner has unleashed on next month’s Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix saying the event was dying “a slow death” and suggested the race should be moved to another state.

Gardner, the 1987 world champion, said he had not been invited by the Australian Grand Prix Corporation to the MotoGP at Phillip Island on October 17-19.

But GP bosses said Gardner would be included in the event when official invitations are sent out in coming days.

“Wayne will always have an invitation to attend the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, and we hope to host him back at Phillip Island this year and in the future,” an Australian Grand Prix Corporation spokesperson said.

The 65-year-old fell out with Grand Prix bosses last year and missed the Australian round at the track where the main straight bears his name.

Wayne Gardner with son Remy on the section of the Phillip Island track named in his honour in 2014.

Remy Gardner celebrates with his father, Wayne, in 2018. Picture: Getty

Gardner said on Instagram that he and motorsport track designer Bob Barnard were instrumental in establishing the race at the island in 1989 where it has been ever since.

“Unfortunately the AGP event is disappearing in a slow death under the current management as budgets are cut every year and maybe it’s time for another state and venue to take over the current management,’’ he said.

The current contract with the state government is for the MotoGP to be held at Phillip Island until 2026.

The state government, which underwrites the event, is keen to retain the island round as part of its major sports line-up, and as regional Victoria’s biggest international event.

Riders often vote the curvy, undulating Phillip Island circuit as one their favourites.

Only Sydney Motorsport Park (Eastern Creek) and Tailem Bend in South Australia would be suitable alternative circuits.

Gardner in Melbourne in 2018 for the premiere of the documentary on his life. Picture: Nicole Cleary

A total of 80,009 fans attended last year’s Phillip Island event over three days, ahead of the 71,387 who turned up to the weather-impacted round the year before.

More than 91,000 patrons went to the island in 2022 after a two-year Covid-enforced break.

Although recent attendances are not at the levels of when local heroes Gardner, Mick Doohan and Casey Stoner were triumphant, poor weather in recent years has kept numbers down leading to discussion over the Australian round’s position in the MotoGP calendar.

The worst of the weather in 2023 forced the GP race to be moved to Saturday as rain and high winds swept across the track on Sunday to end racing at 11.48am.

Australian MotoGP organisers announced on Tuesday that two-time MotoGP champion Casey Stoner would leading the public Homecoming Ride from San Remo to the GP circuit on the eve of the Australian round.

Jimmy Barnes with Wayne Gardner at Phillip Island in 1990.

Gardner now runs the Monaco-based Gardner87 electric bike company which launched at the 2025 Euro World Bike show in Frankfurt in June.

He is currently back in his home town of Wollongong sifting through his massive trophy and memorabilia collection some of which will be donated to a motor museum.

Gardner’s son Remy, a former world Moto2 champion, currently rides for the GYTR GRT Yamaha team in the World Superbike series.

Originally published as Motorsport great Wayne Gardner vents over MotoGP at Phillip Island suggesting race be moved