Marco Bezzecchi
Jack Miller heads to this weekend’s Grand Prix of Qatar on the back of an outstanding top-five finish in the Americas. It was Yamaha’s best result since the end of the 2023 season.
Miller qualified ninth in Texas, but he gained ground at the start and then profited from Marc Marquez’s race-ending crash. He matched his best result during his final year at KTM.
TNT Sports pundit Sylvain Guintoli noticed Miller smiling when he inspected the track conditions. The Australian once again proved that he’s a specialist on a slippery surface.
Miller will arrive in Lusail as the lead Yamaha in the championship. Fabio Quartararo was unanimously expected to hold that title, but he’s three points behind (16 vs 19).
Jack Miller says he won’t truly celebrate until Pramac are back on MotoGP podium
Yamaha are bottom of the constructors’ table after three rounds, having finished fourth last year. But that paints a misleading picture.
In 2024, there were two groups behind Ducati – KTM and Aprilia in one and the two Japanese manufacturers in the other. But now they’ve formed a four-team gaggle.
That represents clear progress for Yamaha, but Miller doesn’t want to celebrate yet. In fact, speaking to The Race, he vowed that he wouldn’t be seen ‘clapping and hugging and waving’ until he was back on the podium.
A four-time race-winner in the premier class, he hasn’t finished in the top three since the 2023 Spanish GP. His drought is about to tick past two years.
“At the end of the day, I’m not the type of guy who’s going to clap and celebrate for a top 10,” he said. “You take the little wins that you can get when you’re trying to get them, but I’m not going to be clapping and waving and hugging everybody for 10th position, no.
“You want to try and be here fighting for the best guys in the world. To be honest, for me, a good result is a podium.
“I love being on the podium. You’ve seen throughout the years how much I love getting on the podium. That for me is a good result. That’s worthy of a celebration.
“Behind that, we need to do more. We need to do better. We need to improve. I want to be back in that position where we can be regularly challenging for podiums.”
Jack Miller has already ticked off one of his dreams on Pramac MotoGP bike
Ironically, a video posted by Pramac after the Americas GP shows Miller embracing his crew when he returns to the pit lane. But for the most part, the 30-year-old will remain reserved for now.
Miller ‘dreamed’ of having a consistent bike in 2025 after involuntarily swapping the RC16 for the M1. And he got his wish in Argentina after looking back at his data.
It’s worth remembering Miller only signed a one-year deal at Pramac. But if he can maintain the level he’s shown so far, an extension should be a formality.
Meanwhile, Quartararo remains frustrated with Yamaha’s limitations. He feels they’re still lacking the grip that will allow them to bag headline results.
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