The future of Oliveira and Miller remains uncertain Yamaha and Pramac postpone decision on second place alongside Razgatlioglu
Yamaha and Pramac wanted to make a decision during the summer break about who would be Toprak Razgatlioglu’s teammate in the 2026 MotoGP season. However, no news has been released. Miguel Oliveira and Jack Miller are also in the dark.
“No, we haven’t spoken,” said Oliveira on Thursday ahead of the race weekend in Austria. “They seem to want to wait two more races before making a decision. My main goal is to continue to give my best for myself first and foremost.”
“My current focus is not so much on the question of ‘stay or go’ as you might think. I’m actually concentrating hard on my biggest weaknesses with this bike, and that’s the braking phase.“
”I think I’ve made some good progress there. But at the Sachsenring and in Brno, I kind of hit a wall – things didn’t go as I wanted them to. In Brno, we tried to get closer to Jack and Fabio’s setup.”
“But I had a lot of trouble with that – especially in the area where I lose time when braking. I want to get that under control.” Because only with performance can Oliveira recommend himself for the future – at Pramac or in another team.
“If you focus only on one result, it can get complicated. If you ride well and feel comfortable on the bike, everything else comes easier. I think that results and performance will follow. That’s why I’m focusing exclusively on that.”
Oliveira has a two-year contract, but with a performance clause. Due to his injury break, he has only six points in the World Championship. That’s why Jack Miller is considered more likely to have his one-year contract extended.
No new contract for Miller at the 8 Hours of Suzuka
Miller recently took second place for Yamaha at the 8 Hours of Suzuka. But he too left Japan without a new contract in his pocket. The Australian also has offers from the Superbike World Championship, but he wants to stay in MotoGP for as long as possible.
“I’m trying to talk to people, make contact, understand what my situation is at the moment – but there’s nothing on the table yet,” sighs Miller. “I’m just waiting. I’m trying to stay in the game, I want to stay here, I want to stay with Yamaha.”
“So I’m waiting. I’m trying to be as patient as possible because I love this project, I enjoy working with Yamaha, and I like the whole environment. I love my crew chief. I’m very, very happy.”
“And I feel like I can still develop and achieve more. Like I said, we’ll just have to wait and see. They’re very happy with me, and I’ve called them many times to ask if there’s anything else I can do or anything I can do differently.”
Such as the guest appearance in Suzuka, a very important race for Yamaha. Miller’s performance impressed the Yamaha bosses. But they are still keeping him waiting. That doesn’t make it easy, though, because alternatives could disappear.
“I’ve been given several dates. First it was supposed to be before the summer break, then after the summer break, and it keeps getting delayed,” the Australian grits his teeth. “Of course, other opportunities are closing up now.”
“I’ll try to do what I can. As I said, it’s just a waiting game, and I’m trying to remain as patient as possible under the circumstances.” One thing is certain: Fabio Quartararo will be riding for the Yamaha factory team next year and Razgatlioglu for Pramac.
Alex Rins also has a two-year contract in his pocket. But the example of Oliveira shows that this is no guarantee. So far, Rins has remained in the shadow of his brand colleagues Quartararo and Miller in terms of performance.
Does the Spaniard also have to worry about his future? “I’m pretty calm,” Rins played down on Thursday in Spielberg. “I signed a two-year contract with Yamaha last year. And I believe in my team.”
“They believe in me, so I’m pretty relaxed in that regard. The relationship with the team is very good, so we’ll see.” The coming weeks will reveal what decisions Yamaha director Paolo Pavesio will make.
