Neil Hodgson baffled by the Jack Miller rumour he’s heard in the Italian Grand Prix paddock, ‘makes no sense to me’

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Pramac Yamaha come into the Grand Prix of Italy having confirmed the signing of Toprak Razgatlioglu in the week. His arrival has put Jack Miller and Miguel Oliveira at risk of losing their seats.

Razgatlioglu’s arrival in MotoGP has excited the paddock and fans around the world, with his incredible talent in World Superbikes and support in Turkey. But it leaves Pramac with a headache as to who will be his teammate in 2026.

Pramac will decide their rider line-up before the summer break, giving Miller and Oliveira the next few rounds to prove themselves. Neither rider is secure for 2026, despite the latter having a two-year deal.

Oliveira is not meeting his performance clause, which could see Yamaha drop him from the grid. The Portuguese rider has struggled with injury in 2025, but he has not found results when fully fit.

On paper, his teammate seems the most likely rider to lose his seat, given he has a one-year deal. But Yamaha have talked up Miller’s efforts since joining the manufacturer, with standout performances and impressive technical feedback giving him a great chance of keeping his seat.

But the Aussie does have offers elsewhere, with Honda putting a three-year deal on the table to join WSBK. Rumours have been swirling around the paddock at the Italian Grand Prix about the Pramac riders’ futures, but one ‘makes no sense’ to Neil Hodgson.

Neil Hodgson says it ‘makes no sense’ for Pramac to drop both Jack Miller and Miguel Oliveira in 2026

There has been speculation that both Pramac riders could lose their seats at the end of the season. Pramac could rival Aprilia for Manu Gonzalez, after the Spaniard caught their eye during his test for Trackhouse at Aragon.

Assessing the rumours via TNT Sports 2 (20/6, 10:17 am), Hodgson says it would make ‘no sense’ for Pramac to get rid of an experienced rider for 2026. While Razgatlioglu is an exceptional rider, he will be a rookie in MotoGP and will need the guidance of someone like Miller or Oliveira.

“It sounds like there’s going to be seats available on the factory Honda in World Superbikes. There’s definitely a factory BMW ride, that’s Toprak’s ride, and also at Ducati,” said Hodgson.

“It’s been announced that Bautista is leaving the factory team. The Ducati is the best bike in World Superbikes, as well as here. There is a seat available, albeit it doesn’t sound like it’s going to be a highly-paid one because they’ve had to pay quite a lot to keep their number one rider, Bulega.

“So, at least there are options for whoever gets booted out of the Pramac Yamaha team.

“This is just paddock rumours, there’s nothing strong behind it, that both riders could potentially be out, which would be strange.

“They might take a punt on a Manu Gonzalez because they can. A Moto2 rider before somebody else steals the talent of someone like Manu Gonzalez.

“Absolutely, that’s exactly what I thought. When I heard that rumour, I thought that makes no sense to me, you definitely keep the security of having an experienced rider.”

READ MORE: Everything to know about Jack Miller from net worth to wife

Jack Miller is the favourite to get the second Pramac seat in 2026

Amid all the speculation surrounding his future, Miller is ‘very relaxed’ about the situation. His impact on Yamaha behind the scenes has been significant, with his experience proving a huge help for the manufacturer as they look to return to the front of the grid.

Currently the second-best Yamaha rider behind Fabio Quartararo, Miller is now the favourite to stay at Pramac. The 30-year-old knows that he must stay ahead of his teammate to keep his spot in MotoGP for 2026.

Oliveira says injuries are to blame for his poor results this season, having only scored three points thus far. He is starting to express concern over his future as it looks more likely than ever that he will be leaving Pramac at the end of the year.

But there is also every chance that his teammate could end up elsewhere too. Cal Crutchlow could lure Miller to WSBK as Honda try to bring him on board to lead the project.