Why Fabio Quartararo could now play a key role in deciding Jack Miller’s future at Pramac

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Yamaha are about to decide which rider will partner Toprak Razgatlioglu at Pramac in 2026. It’s no exaggeration to say the careers of Jack Miller and Miguel Oliveira are hanging in the balance.

With most of the grid on two-year deals and neither rider particularly standing out this season, an offer from elsewhere in the MotoGP pit lane looks unlikely. For Miller and Oliveira, it’s Pramac or bust.

Yamaha have promised their riders a decision before the summer break, and there are only two rounds remaining – a back-to-back in Germany and Czechia – before that juncture. Oliveira isn’t meeting a performance clause in his deal, which means his two-year contract offers little protection.

Initially, it looked as if it would be one or the other alongside Razgatlioglu. But now it’s emerged that Yamaha are interested in Diogo Moreira, the Moto2 star, which means both riders are at risk.

Fabio Quartararo likely to be consulted about Pramac’s 2026 rider decision

Fabio Quartararo is Yamaha’s prize asset, but he’s growing immensely frustrated. Quartararo says he has ‘no more time to wait’ after his win drought extended beyond three years.

The Frenchman has qualified on pole four times this season but fallen back on each occasion. He slipped out of the top 10 in the standings after crashing out of the recent race at Assen.

In their attempts to keep him on board, Yamaha have granted Quartararo influence over some team decisions. For instance, he was one of the driving forces behind their newly-formed partnership with Pramac.

As such, The Race journalist Simon Patterson believes they will consult him on their 2026 line-up plans. Quartararo may lean towards the experience of a rider like Miller, who’s started 187 races, rather than a rookie in Moreira.

“One thing we’ve seen through all the big, major changes that Yamaha have made to try and find their way back to competitiveness over the last few months and years has been that they listen to what Quartararo wants,” Patterson said.

“Fabio asks for something, Fabio gets it, be it a rider coach, a satellite team, a V4 engine. All those things have come true because he’s essentially demanded it.

“I think that means that he probably has a fair bit of weight in helping them make this decision, and I think that he’s going to be someone who will tip in favour of wanting a bit experience to keep the momentum of this project moving towards the right direction.

“He doesn’t care about the future prospects of Yamaha after he leaves the manufacturer, he cares about him winning on this bike.”

The offers Jack Miller has if he loses Pramac MotoGP seat

Quartararo has praised Miller since he joined from KTM over the winter. He wants his teammates to be as competitive as possible to drive Yamaha forward.

Moreira sits third in the Moto2 standings, but his contribution to bike development would likely be limited at first. And as Patterson notes, that may not square with Quartararo’s impatience.

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

If Miller is sacrificed, then a move to World Superbikes is a possibility. Leading suitors Honda want to appoint Cal Crutchlow as their team boss, aware of the close relationship between the two veterans.

But Luigi Dall’Igna is also a fan of Miller, formerly a Ducati rider. He could look to bring him to the Bologna outfit’s WSBK arm.