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Jack Miller’s Revival with Pramac Racing: A Fresh Start in MotoGP

Just over a year ago, Jack Miller appeared to be at a crossroads in his MotoGP career, contemplating the possibility of stepping away from racing altogether. After a challenging 18-month stint with KTM, which resulted in the manufacturer opting not to extend his contract for 2025, options on the grid seemed bleak. It was speculated that he might either transition to the World Superbike Championship or exit competitive racing entirely.

However, a major turnaround came in February when Miller secured a factory contract with Yamaha to race for Pramac in the MotoGP championship. His adaptation to the Yamaha M1 has been impressively swift, and early pre-season testing painted a promising picture for his return to form.

In fact, Miller’s experience during the Sepang shakedown was surprisingly smooth, particularly in comparison to team-mate Miguel Oliveira, who, despite having the same access to track time, encountered difficulties. Miller noted the sensation of the bike’s front end, praising it as “phenomenally fantastic” and a “blessing,” which enabled him to quickly find competitive pace on the track.

Even when conditions at Buriram seemed less than ideal for Yamaha, Miller’s performance remained strong, finishing 11th and only 0.012 seconds behind Quartararo’s top time. This resilience in performance has imbued him with confidence as he looks forward to the upcoming season opener on March 2.

Reflecting on his adjustments, Miller expressed that he always had faith in the fundamentally strong design of the Yamaha. He emphasized the importance of adapting his riding style to suit the motorcycle better and that he was enjoying the learning process.

“I’m pretty happy with where I’m at. I’m enjoying riding,” he stated. “Every time you put a new tyre on, you think ‘I should have released the brakes a smidge earlier and carried a little bit more corner speed.’ It’s a fun bike to ride.”

While there are still improvements to be made—particularly regarding the bike’s rear-end performance and engine capabilities—Miller conveys a sense of optimism as he wraps up his tenure with KTM and embraces a new beginning with Pramac Racing.

“I feel like we’ve made some significant progress with the bike, and I believe we’ll continue to see improvements through the early races. The trajectory is positive,” Miller remarked. With testing behind him, he is eager to transition to competitive racing.

As part of his preparation for the season-opening Thai Grand Prix, Miller completed a sprint simulation. Although an issue with an engine map slightly affected his average times, he remained optimistic about his long-run pace.

“I did the sprint sim and was relatively satisfied with my pace; it wasn’t too bad,” he explained. “We faced an issue with starting due to one of the maps and had to default to the qualifying map, which made things a bit hectic over the final laps. However, it was a valuable experience to understand the dynamics we need to manage in that kind of situation.”

Miller’s journey through the MotoGP has seen him race with four different manufacturers, and he brings with him prior experience with Pramac from 2018 to 2020 when the team was linked with Ducati. He expressed admiration for the team’s ability to adapt to the Yamaha M1 after years with a different manufacturer.

“It’s a challenge for us as riders to switch bikes, but it’s even more complex for the team, which has been focused on one machine for nearly 15 years. However, they have done an outstanding job adapting to the new bike, and I feel ready to go racing now,” he commented.

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www.autosport.com