Pramac boss reveals what really saved Jack Miller from losing his MotoGP seat ‘in the end’

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Jack Miller has seen Yamaha introduce their brand-new V4 engine at this weekend’s San Marino Grand Prix. And he now knows he will be central to that project.

For around two-thirds of the season, Miller’s future was uncertain. He was out of contract at the end of the season, while Miguel Oliveira’s deal on the other side of the garage ran to the end of 2026.

When Yamaha announced that World Superbikes champion Toprak Razgatlioglu would ride for their satellite team next year, it was clear that Miller’s MotoGP career was in serious jeopardy. But after a protracted period of deliberation, he earned a new deal.

Oliveira has failed to meet a performance clause, which enables Yamaha to let him go. After becoming restless over the lack of progress in contract talks, Miller can look towards 2026 with optimism.

Gino Borsoi says ‘championship standings’ were decisive for Jack Miller

In an interview with Mundo Deportivo, Pramac boss Gino Borsoi explained how exactly Miller and Oliveira were separated. They repeatedly ‘postponed’ the decision deadline.

Oliveira missed three full weekends after a collision with Fermin Aldeguer in the Argentina GP Sprint, having dislocated a ligament in his shoulder. Yamaha wanted to give him time to regain his form.

But in the end, both teams looked at the standings and felt they couldn’t justify keeping the Portuguese rider over Miller. He’s scored exactly three times the number of points (54 vs 17), a gap that can’t be explained by Oliveira’s injury alone.

“Jackie and Miguel’s decision took a long time because everyone was really struggling to make a decision, both Yamaha and us,” Borsoi said. “Miguel is a great person, a great rider.

“He’s also a rider capable of giving you very good technical advice, and for the V4 project, it would have also been a plus for the future of Yamaha.

“The final decision was increasingly postponed to also give Oliveira the chance to show his speed, his talent, because the poor guy actually had this big crash at the beginning of the year, through no fault of his own, and was out for many races.

“Once you return to MotoGP, we’re seeing it, it’s not easy. Even if he has talent, he needs time to recover, to get back into rhythm and go fast again, and that’s why my decision was, let’s say yes, increasingly delayed, but there comes a time when you have to make it.

“There are two riders and only one place, and you have to start making decisions and making decisions. In the end, we based our decision on the championship standings.”

Why Fabio Quartararo is pleased that Yamaha re-signed Jack Miller

It would be wrong to characterise it as a straight head-to-head between Miller and Oliveira. Yamaha also pursued Diogo Moreira, the rising Moto2 star, but they lost out.

It may be that Honda accidentally saved Miller’s premier-class career by presenting a more favourable offer to the Brazilian. Manuel Gonzalez is admired by Yamaha’s Italian bosses, but the Japanese faction preferred to stick with Miller.

And crucially, it’s a decision that will please Fabio Quartararo, the brand’s most important asset. Quartararo thinks Miller will aid the V4 development due to his experience with the machinery at other teams.

Razgatlioglu will be a rookie in MotoGP terms, and given the importance of feedback from test sessions, now may not have been the time for Yamaha to field two inexperienced riders.