Jack Miller shares how Yamaha’s V4 engine reminds him of his time at Ducati

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Yamaha face a difficult task to develop the V4 engine aggressively over the next few months, without compromising its reliability.

One of their most important assets has become Jack Miller, whose experience on rival machines will be vital for shaping their development direction.

It’s a big reason why Pramac opted to keep him around for another season, rather than drop him in favour of an all-rookie line-up.

Yamaha are under pressure to make significant changes, and fast. They have the slowest bike in MotoGP, and superstar rider Fabio Quartararo won’t tolerate it for much longer.

Miller is concerned by Yamaha’s V4 and how it feels under traction. One of his best skill sets is his ability to improve electronics, and that’s a key area of improvement for his current manufacturer.

Ahead of the post-season test in Valencia, Miller wanted to see more horsepower from the V4 and thinks that his team can bring more to the bike.

READ MORE: MotoGP fans all say the same thing after Jack Miller received Valencia Grand Prix Sprint penalty

Jack Miller says Yamaha’s bike has a ‘similar feeling’ to Ducati’s mass flywheel

Miller could extend his career beyond 2026 if his knowledge ends up being a key driver in the development of Yamaha’s latest project.

Neil Hodgson thinks Miller can find a ‘perfect’ braking point, and it’s something that the Yamaha riders have had to become accustomed to while on the underpowered inline-four.

There won’t be much expected of the Yamaha riders in the early part of next season. Their focus will be on getting the V4 up to speed.

The problem is, it might come too late to convince Quartararo to stay. Being winless for three years, particularly during his prime, feels like a waste, and he knows that.

But Miller might have just given the team some hope after drawing a comparison to the Ducati bike he rode a few years ago.

“The motorcycle carries the Yamaha DNA,” he told SPEEDWEEK. “The sound is reminiscent of Honda and KTM. Furthermore, I get a similar feeling regarding the flywheel mass as with the Ducati. But the torque curve is different.”

READ MORE: Jack Miller pinpoints the Casey Stoner moment that made him realise he wanted to be a MotoGP rider

Why Jack Miller may be more comfortable on Yamaha’s bike in 2026

Riding the V4 in 2026 is going to bring Miller a new level of familiarity that he didn’t get to enjoy in 2025. It may be part of the reason why he struggled to get any results.

Now that the Aussie rider will be back to riding something a little more familiar to him, old sensations might make his job a little easier.

He’ll be 31 years old when the season starts, which is plenty young enough to compete in the premier class.

If he can score a few results early in the campaign, it could really be good for his confidence and help him kick on across the rest of 2026.