Marco Bezzecchi
Jack Miller was one of the final riders to be confirmed for the 2026 MotoGP grid. His seat at Pramac came under threat from young prospects in Moto2.
Miller only signed a one-year deal when he joined from KTM last winter, and Yamaha waited until the start of last month to lock him in for 2026. He will partner Toprak Razgatlioglu, the two-time World Superbikes champion.
Yamaha value Miller’s feedback and experience as they introduce their brand-new V4 engine. In that context, it may not have been wise to partner Razgatlioglu with another rookie.
Still, Diogo Moreira rejected an offer from Yamaha and is now expected to join Honda satellite squad LCR. And Moreira’s Moto2 rival Manuel Gonzalez was seriously considered too.
Manuel Gonzalez reflects on MotoGP snub after nearly replacing Jack Miller
Gonzalez was waiting for a call from Pramac offering him Miller’s seat, but it never arrived. He’s now committed to staying in Moto2.
The 23-year-old is currently nine points clear of Moreira at the top of the intermediate class standings. He could become the first Moto2 champion to remain in the series since Johann Zarco in 2015.
Reports have suggested Dorna intervened to keep Miller on the grid because it’s commercially valuable to have Australia represented.
Yamaha’s Japanese management advocated for Miller, while their Italian colleagues were generally in favour of a change. Gonzalez says the existing preponderance of Spanish riders (nine out of 22) worked against him.
“Look, we all know that a passport counts for a lot,” he told Mundo Deportivo. “But since last year, I’ve tried to focus only on what depends on me, and those things don’t depend on me.
“The only thing that depends on me is going out on the track and giving my all, winning, and proving that I’m a rider worthy of MotoGP. And that’s what I’ve been doing all year.
“This year, we were close to signing for MotoGP, but I don’t think it was the right time or situation to do it. Obviously, if it had happened, I would have been very happy because it’s my dream to get to MotoGP.
“But being on a team where I can fight to win the championship is also a very positive thing to be able to stay and continue for another year. And if it hasn’t happened this year, I hope it will happen next year.”
Manuel Gonzalez says MotoGP teams are judging young riders through the ‘TV’
Gonzalez tested for Trackhouse earlier this year at Aragon, which inevitably led to links with Aprilia. Jorge Martin’s uncertain future suggested there could be a reshuffle.
But Gonzalez maintains that the test was never a direct audition, even if he left the team positively surprised. He wants to see young riders given more of these opportunities so MotoGP bosses can establish ‘how they work inside the pits’.
At the moment, too many are making adjustments based on what they see ‘on TV or through results’.
“It’s true that with them, with Aprilia, it was just that one test,” Gonzalez said. “It was already planned to be done beforehand. They knew that if Jorge left, there could be changes.
“But since he didn’t leave in the end, there were no changes, and that test didn’t mean anything about signing with one team or another.
“But hey, at least there’s a factory that saw me as I am, and I surprised them in a positive way, too. So it was very good for me, and for them too.
“I think it’s something MotoGP brands should do more to see young riders, Moto2 riders, where you only see them on TV or through results, to learn about what they’re like personally or how they work inside the pits. And it’s something very, very good for everyone that I think they should do in the future.”
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