“Huge talk in the paddock” about Yamaha with knock-on effect for Jack Miller

Jack Miller could be set to move to the factory Yamaha team for the 2026 MotoGP season to make way for a Moto2 rider.

Jack Miller’s MotoGP future has been in doubt since Pramac Yamaha signed Toprak Razgatlioglu for the 2026 season.

The Australian has a one-year contract with the Italian team that he joined this year from KTM.

It had been understood at Mugello that Miller was going head-to-head with his teammate, Miguel Oliveira, for the second Pramac seat next year.

The Portuguese rider’s contract with Pramac is for two years, 2025 and 2026, but Yamaha Motor Racing Managing Director Paolo Pavesio said in Italy that there are “options” within it, the implication being that Oliveira is not secure for next season.

Diogo Moreira interest has Jack Miller knock-on effect

But a third rider is now in the Pramac equation and that is Diogo Moreira, who has shot up the order of priorities for MotoGP factories in recent weeks thanks to a maiden Moto2 win in the Netherlands before a striking ride from 25th to fourth at the Sachsenring – a race which, admittedly, ended with Moreira picking up a pit lane start penalty for this weekend’s Czech Grand Prix for a dangerous re-entry to the track that took both himself and David Alonso out of the race after he went onto the grass following a misjudged overtake on Jake Dixon.

With the Brazilian Grand Prix to return to the calendar next year, there is also incentive for the championship promoters to have a Brazilian rider on the premier class grid next year, and Pramac could be the destination for him.

“There is huge talk in the paddock that there might be two rookies at Pramac next year,” said MotoGP.com reporter Jack Appleyard.

“Diogo Moreira showed why every MotoGP factory is interested. His talent is out of this world, there are still rough edges.

“There is talk of Diogo being in deep discussions with Pramac.”

A move for Moreira to MotoGP with Pramac would be the trigger for Miller to move to the factory team in place of the struggling Alex Rins.

“Given the fact that Alex Rins had a disastrous German GP – he was 40 seconds off Marc Marquez and he hasn’t found any form of late – there is a possibility that Jack might move into Rins’ seat.”

Honda rival Yamaha for Moto2 star

MotoGP world feed commentator Louis Suddaby noted that Miller has been clear his preference is to stay in the grand prix next year.

“Miller has made it clear that his priority is to stay in MotoGP, even though there are World Superbikes rumours,” Suddaby said.

If the Pramac move does not happen, Moreira could end up at the LCR Honda team.

“Honda, given they might miss out on Jorge Martin, have turned their attention to the Brazilian,” Appleyard said.

“It is not guaranteed that we will see Jack [Miller] or Miguel [Oliveira] next year.”

There is also “talk of Ducati and KTM” being linked to Moreira, Appleyard noted, but this would be for 2027 – a 2026 move would be with one of the two Japanese factories.