Marco Bezzecchi
Jack Miller’s personality has made him one of the most popular riders on the MotoGP grid today, but fans have not always liked the Australian since his debut back in 2015.
The Queensland native shot straight up from Moto3 into the premier class a decade ago for LCR on a factory Honda contract. Miller stunned the Japanese squad in his breakout season in the lightweight class, as he finished two points shy of Alex Marquez in the 2014 title fight.
Miller rode an open-entry Honda RC213V-RS during his debut MotoGP season, but he would only score 17 points from 18 rounds. His rookie record remains the worst return of the now-30-year-old’s 11 seasons in MotoGP that have featured five teams and four manufacturers.
Yamaha became the fourth manufacturer on his MotoGP CV in the 2025 term, joining Ducati and KTM, as Pramac welcomed Miller back for a second spell with the Tuscan team he raced with from 2018 to 2020. Miller signed a one-year works Yamaha contract after leaving KTM.
Jack Miller feared leaving the 2015 British Grand Prix ‘alive’ after crashing into Cal Crutchlow
But while Miller has enjoyed 11 seasons on the MotoGP grid, which have even returned four Grand Prix wins, 23 podiums and two pole positions so far, his status as a fans’ favourite was not the case at Silverstone following the 2015 British Grand Prix in race 12 of that campaign.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Jack Miller from net worth to wife
Miller enraged parts of the Silverstone crowd after crashing into his then-LCR teammate and home favourite Cal Crutchlow in the 2015 British GP. The Australian misjudged his braking at the Vale chicane on Lap 3/20 and wiped the Coventry native out after tucking the front tyre.
Reflecting on the incident in 2023, Miller recalled how some fans threw bottles at him after denying Crutchlow the chance to possibly win his home race in the rain at Silverstone. Miller had shot up from 16th on the grid to run fifth, with Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo also in his sights.
Miller said on The Official MotoGP Podcast: “That wasn’t a great day. I look back on it now, and it’s bad because I know what Cal could have done on the day. And I feel terrible, or not great, for taking that away from him.
“British Grand Prix, we know how strong Cal was in the wet. And I felt good, young, dumb, just having a crack. It’s one of those things that you’ll never take back.
“As soon as I grabbed the brakes, I knew what would happen. The closing speed was too much. Lorenzo was in front, and I was just like, ‘Oh, well, I’ll try and stick it up the inside’. And, unfortunately for Cal, he was there. But it’s one of those things.
“I’ll never forget, I walked around the outside because I tried to jump start the bike, and it wouldn’t start. I had to walk along the fence, all the way, and I was getting bottles tossed at the fence. It was one of those, ‘Am I going to get out of there alive?’, sort of moments.
“But it was one of those things that I look back on now, and it taught me a lot in terms of race management and so on.”
Fans questioned Jack Miller’s place on the MotoGP grid after the 2015 British Grand Prix
It was not only fans at the circuit who made their feelings clear after Miller crashed into his LCR teammate and home favourite Crutchlow in the 2015 British GP. When MotoGP posted a video of the crash on Facebook, swarms of fans also questioned Miller’s place on the grid.
One fan wrote: “When is Miller gonna get kicked out? No talent, no hope!” While another fan begged: “Miller, go to Moto2… please!” Another fan also noted at the time: “[It] looks like the step to MotoGP was probably one too far. His ambition outweighs his talent.”
A fan even urged Miller to “Go back to Moto3” after the Australian crashed into Crutchlow at Silverstone. His spot on the grid widely came into question, with another fan suggesting: “Miller doesn’t belong in MotoGP.” Another also said: “Me thinks Miller is in over his head.”
Crutchlow ultimately had to retire on Lap 4 of the 2015 British GP due to the damage to his factory Honda RC213V from Miller taking his LCR teammate out. Miller’s mistake even took away one of Crutchlow’s best chances to win a British GP across his 13-year MotoGP career.
A British rider has also still never won a premier class British Grand Prix in the race’s history on the calendar. But Crutchlow’s victory in the 2016 Czech Grand Prix did finish Britain’s 35-year wait, going back to Barry Sheene in 1981, for another premier class Grand Prix winner.
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