Marco Bezzecchi
Jack Miller just battled his way to another disappointing points finish for Pramac at the Malaysian Grand Prix.
The Aussie just matched the number of top-15 finishes he had with KTM in 2024, but this year, he has 19 points fewer from those results. Pramac’s first year in partnership with Yamaha hasn’t been smooth sailing, but there’s hope that the situation will improve over the winter.
After months of speculation, Miller finally earned a contract renewal in September, which extends his MotoGP career for another season. He gets to partner rookie rider Toprak Razgatlioglu, which will make his experience even more vital to his team.
Razgatlioglu has praised Miller for the dynamic that he brings to the team, and expects to get on well with him as teammates. Miller has received warnings from his bike this year, and the introduction of the V4 engine will be critical for Yamaha’s performance next year, after a disappointing campaign in 2025.
READ MORE: Casey Stoner gives instant reaction as Jack Miller qualifies on front row at Australian Grand Prix
Jack Miller’s ‘awful’ wheelspin indicates that Yamaha must improve V4 power delivery for 2026
Miller must achieve more top 10 finishes next year if he wants to stand a chance of extending his premier class career into a 12th season with the new regulations. Some were already surprised that he managed to convince Yamaha to keep him for 2026.
It has been nearly three years since his last podium, and whilst he has shown flashes of brilliance at times, the consistency hasn’t been there in the important moments. He has let a few solid results slip through his grasp (a win at Le Mans comes to mind).
With the 30-year-old set to inherit the V4 engine next year, his latest race at the Malaysian Grand Prix just showed where it must be an improvement over the current M1. After dealing with a lot of wheelspin in Sepang, it needs to bring smoother power delivery and better traction to the Yamaha bike.
“I was just biding my time, hoping that it would come back towards me,” he told FOX Sports Australia. “I tried to start pushing in the last three laps, and she was spinning an awful lot in the straights. I was having to short-shift every gear.
“I tried to battle with him [Alex Rins], but I wasn’t close enough. Every time I pushed hard to try to close the gap, we’d have a moment on the front, so I opted to bring it home where we were rather than have another one on the ground.”
Jack Miller has already sent Toprak Razgatlioglu a warning ahead of MotoGP debut
During his second year on a Yamaha machine, Miller should be able to achieve more in 2026. It takes some time to adapt sometimes.
With that in mind, it will be important for Pramac to remain patient with their new rider for next year. Miller has already warned Razgatlioglu, but time will tell if he can cope.
Making the immediate jump from the World Superbike Championship is an ambitious move and requires a lot of adaptability.
His riding style may not suit the current bikes and tyres, but when Pirelli (who supply the WSBK tyres) arrive for 2027, he might just find that he has a head start on everyone else.
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