Marco Bezzecchi
Jack Miller’s relationship with Yamaha is becoming increasingly tense. That much is clear from his recent interviews.
If Yamaha offer him a new contract, and the second seat at Pramac alongside Toprak Razgatlioglu, that tension will dissipate. But Miller is starting to doubt whether that will materialise.
He was under the impression that he’d find out before the end of the summer break. There was no news over the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, nor in the run-up to Hungary.
On Thursday, Miller suggested Yamaha may no longer want him as they consider replacements. Teammate Miguel Oliveira has accepted he will lose his seat already.
Yamaha’s Japanese management pushing to keep Jack Miller at Pramac
LCR Honda are now set to sign Diogo Moreira, who was Yamaha’s primary target for the seat alongside Razgatlioglu. Paolo Pavesio has now turned his attention to another Moto2 star.
Yamaha have made an approach for Manu Gonzalez, who currently leads the intermediate class standings. Speaking on the Paddock Pass podcast, journalist Neil Morrison suggested that the team’s Italian management would prefer to sign the Spaniard.
Intact GP have agreed to postpone Gonzalez’s contract deadline by one week, which indicates a decision may be imminent. Over in Japan, though, the preference is to hand Miller a new deal.
It’s also been suggested that franchise rider Fabio Quartararo would like Miller to stay given his contribution to the team’s development. That may prove to be an important factor.
“I went and spoke to some people in the paddock and heard that Yamaha apparently approached Intact GP, Manu Gonzalez’s current team, at the Austrian round,” Morrison said. “That was Gonzalez’s deadline – if he was going to get a MotoGP offer, it had to be before the finale of the Austrian Grand Prix because obviously the team need to find a replacement for next year.
“I’ve heard that Yamaha approached Intact GP and said, ‘Could you delay this clause in Manu’s contract that would trigger his extension with the team in Moto2?’, and they’ve said, ‘We can do it – but for just one more week’.
“This weekend is going to be the cut-off, and what I heard that it was the Italian element of Yamaha management that have been pushing for Manu and are trying to convince the Japanese element to take Manu on over Miller. It seems like this is the dynamic that’s going on within Yamaha at the moment.
“The person I was speaking to was, of the opinion, that in all likelihood Jack will remain because the Japanese will say, ‘We think this is worth persisting with’. This was speculation on the part of the person I was speaking to.”
Yamaha’s ‘big fear’ about Jack Miller amid WSBK interest
Speaking on Dorna’s preview show, Jack Appleyard said Miller had implicitly threatened to sign a World Superbikes deal if he didn’t hear back from Yamaha within the next three days.
Ducati are interested in Miller, who previously rode for their MotoGP factory team. Yamaha must be wary of losing their ‘plan-b option’.
“Yamaha’s big fear… Jack himself, though he didn’t say it directly, alluded to the fact that, if he doesn’t get a contract offer on the table this weekend, he’s going to go and sign one of the contract offers he’s got on the table from World Superbikes.
“Suddenly, Yamaha could be in a position where they’ve not only missed out on Diogo Moreira, but they’ve also missed out on what seems like their plan-b option in Jack Miller.”
Reports have also claimed that Honda are targeting Miller for their WSBK team. They gave him his MotoGP debut back in 2015.
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