Marco Bezzecchi
Miguel Oliveira just scored the best result of his MotoGP season immediately after losing his Pramac seat for 2026.
The Portuguese rider finished ninth at the Catalan Grand Prix and was the second-fastest Yamaha rider behind Fabio Quartararo.
Earlier in the week, it was confirmed that Jack Miller would assume Pramac’s second and final vacant opening for next year, leaving Oliveira stranded.
With LCR set to confirm their replacement for Somkiat Chantra soon, it now means that Oliveira will be off the grid for the first time in seven seasons.
Miller sacrificed more money for Pramac as he looks to optimise the final few years of competitive racing that he has in his body.
Following the announcement, MotoGP fans slammed Yamaha for a ‘low blow’ and couldn’t believe that Oliveira will be left off the grid.
READ MORE: Why Jack Miller is now facing his last chance in MotoGP as Pramac contract extension looms
Gavin Emmett has ‘heard’ Yamaha might want to sign Miguel Oliveira for 2026
Oliveira learned a vital lesson when recovering from a devastating injury earlier in the season, which forced him to miss four races.
He’s the second-lowest of all full-time riders in the MotoGP standings and is only ahead of rookie rider Somkiat Chantra.
Unfortunately, he won’t be around to benefit from Yamaha’s introduction of the new V4 engine, which is expected to make them a lot more competitive.
Gavin Emmett addressed the 30-year-old’s future on TNT Sports in Catalunya, where he revealed that another manufacturer might be competing for his signature in 2026 alongside Aprilia.
“I also heard that Yamaha were still trying to hold onto him, maybe as a World Superbike rider to replace the retiring Jonny Rea,” he said.
Why Pramac opted to keep Jack Miller over Miguel Oliveira for 2026
With 11 seasons worth of experience under his belt, Miller brings a lot of knowledge to Pramac, which can be used to help develop Yamaha’s new V4.
Oliveira has four fewer campaigns on his CV, and he hasn’t been on as many rival bikes in that time either. He’s not quite as well-rounded as his Aussie counterpart.
It all means that Miller gets the chance to prove that he deserves to remain on the grid by the time the new regulations arrive in 2027, while Oliveira must now search for an unlikely route back.
He could move to the World Superbike Championship with Yamaha, but it feels like it would be unlikely to see him return to MotoGP after that.
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