Marco Bezzecchi
Jack Miller is hard at work with Yamaha preparing their bike for a return to the sharp end of the MotoGP grid after being rewarded with a contract extension for 2026.
The 30-year-old rider is eager to start work on the Japanese manufacturer’s new V4 engine and will be a crucial voice in the development of their project in the future. Miller offers the team a level of experience that would be hard to find anywhere else, having ridden for four of the championship’s five bikes.
Pramac’s alternative was likely to sign a second rookie to have alongside the incoming Toprak Razgatlioglu, which could have made scoring points early in the MotoGP campaign difficult. Now they will be able to help push Yamaha’s V4 forward alongside the factory riders.
Fabio Quartararo takes ‘eight tenths’ off Miller when looking at Yamaha’s data, and it all appears to be under braking. Miller admitted Yamaha have a ‘missing’ trait that forced them to build a new engine for the 2026 season. On debut at San Marino, it had a respectable outing.
Jack Miller said exactly what Yamaha want to hear after Fabio Quartararo’s worrying complaints
Quartararo’s body language was bad after a V4 test at Misano a few weeks ago, and he doubled down on the idea in media day at the Japanese Grand Prix by reminding everyone that he has no intentions to be patient with the new V4 engine. He wants to see results soon.
Quartararo ‘always’ worries riding Yamaha’s bike and has not been comfortable on the M1 for some time. It’s why drastic changes were required.
However, Miller’s latest reminder to the media that developing the V4 will take time is exactly what the manufacturer will want to hear after Quartararo’s comments, which may have put them under even more pressure.
“It just takes time,” he said, according to Fox Sports Australia. “It takes time to write the [electronics] programs, time to create the tools. None of this stuff is copy and paste, or you buy an application from the app store. It’s all built by them.
“This s— takes time. It’s well above my pay grade, but when it comes to this kind of thing, you need to be patient. We are getting there, and the programs are getting a lot better. If you could close the gap tomorrow, we’d try to do it tomorrow.”
READ MORE: Ducati rivals are now ‘incredibly interested’ in signing Fabio Quartararo from Yamaha for 2027
What did Fabio Quartararo say about Yamaha’s V4 project at the Japanese Grand Prix?
Speaking at media day in Motegi, Quartararo was questioned on the V4 project, and his answers were far from settling.
He has already shown a lot of patience and loyalty to remain with his team through some of his prime years, but now he’s showing some signs that he might have had enough.
“I don’t want to keep a low profile,” he said, according to the Italian edition of Motorsport.com. “I’m talking about reality. And when you’re as far back as we are, it’s hard to truly get back to the top. And the project is new. So, let’s hope they can work their magic in a few months.
“I don’t think I need to put too much pressure on Yamaha. Because it’s the bike I’ll be riding next year and the one that will make me decide on my future (his contract expires at the end of 2026). So, I think Yamaha wants to keep me and knows what they have to do.
“So I don’t want to put too much pressure on them. I’m just waiting for them to bring something new. Of course, it’s only the beginning. But I hope they can really bring some updates, which are really struggling.”
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