Marco Bezzecchi
Jack Miller is still fighting for his MotoGP future after another disappointing outing at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The sport’s inaugural Balaton Park race was a challenge for all riders, who had to learn a new circuit and find ways of overtaking on its tricky layout.
Unfortunately for Miller, he crashed twice on Sunday, condemning him to a retirement and leaving him with nothing to show for his efforts.
After a dismal race prior to the Hungarian Grand Prix in Austria, both Pramac and Yamaha’s riders were marginally better, but nowhere near where they want to be competing.
Neil Hodgson gave his honest thoughts on Miller and believes that he deserves to retain his ride for 2026 for one big reason.
Supposedly, Pramac have finally decided between Miller and Manuel Gonzalez over who will pair Toprak Razgatlioglu next year, but no official confirmation has been made yet.
READ MORE: Paolo Pavesio reveals what he’s told Jack Miller in ‘open’ conversation about Yamaha’s rider plans
Jack Miller left ‘devastated’ after suffering worrying Pramac clutch issue at Balaton Park
Yamaha bosses disagree whether to keep Miller, with the Japanese side preferring that he be kept around in the future. His Suzuka 8 Hour efforts in particular will have pleased them.
But it’s unusual for a rider to be kept waiting for so long. Given that the incoming V4 project will require experience to develop it, penning Miller to a new deal feels like the obvious decision.
Otherwise, Yamaha run the risk of putting too much pressure on Fabio Quartararo’s shoulders, while Pramac potentially have two rookies on the books for 2026.
Miller left Balaton Park ‘devastated’ after having the pace for a solid result, pointing FOX Sports Australia to a clutch issue as the reasoning for his second crash.
“As soon as I tapped the gas to start accelerating, that was it,” he said. “I didn’t do anything differently to the lap before, apart from being slower. A real head-scratcher.
“I picked the bike up, started pushing, but we had a little issue with the clutch hopping, and when I went into turn 11 [on lap 17], I was pushing probably too hard at that point.
“We had a decent pace this weekend, and it’s a missed opportunity, but we’ll analyse the data and understand the cause, and how to prevent it. Devastated and sorry to the team. We’ll try to be better going forward.”
READ MORE: Yamaha now want ‘textbook’ rider to replace Jack Miller at Pramac after giving up on Diogo Moreira
Why Jack Miller is guaranteed to match unwanted nine-year feat in 2025
Yamaha’s M1 bike hasn’t been pleasant for anyone to ride for the majority of the season, and all of their riders have struggled with it.
Miguel Oliveira, despite missing a handful of races, has just six points to show for his efforts at Pramac. It has ended his hopes of being retained for 2026.
Oliveira has ‘accepted’ his fate at Pramac, but he still has eight rounds to potentially prove to another team that he can be a good option for the future.
Razgatlioglu, ready to finally make his debut with Pramac after years of speculation regarding a switch from World Superbikes, won’t be eager to get on the M1 any time soon. He’ll be hoping that the V4 is a significant improvement.
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