Jack Miller: “Great success in the past”, ‘Shakedown’ over for Pramac

Jack Miller heads into this weekend’s Spanish MotoGP at Jerez looking to rebound from his toughest event of the season in Qatar.

The Australian, who celebrated victory at the Andalusian circuit in 2021 and a podium in 2023, is eyeing a fresh start after a physically and technically challenging Lusail.

“I’m really looking forward to racing in Jerez and bouncing back after what was a tough weekend for us in Qatar – both in terms of my feeling with the bike and my physical condition, which wasn’t at its best,” said Miller, who suffered food poisoning.

“Jerez is a track where I’ve had great success in the past. I really enjoy riding there, and I’m excited to do it on the M1, as I believe it’s a circuit that can suit our bike well. My hope is that this weekend we can close the gap to the front.”

Miller made a key ergonomic adjustment for the Qatar Grand Prix, reverting to a lower handlebar position after experimenting with changes in Austin. 

While his race ended in a crash the revised setup left him feeling more in control.

“We made a change back for the race, dropped the handlebars down probably another 10mm, back to where we were prior to Austin and felt better again, just a little less twitchy in the front,” he explained.

“It’s a big change and you feel awkward on the bike the first couple laps. But then once I got into the rhythm of things, it was the best the bike had been all weekend. I felt like I was just getting stronger and stronger. It was one of those ones – such a slow, shitty crash.”

Miller's pointless weekend in Qatar came straight after claiming Yamaha's best grand prix finish since 2023 with a fifth place at COTA.

After such topsy-turvy results, team boss Gino Borsoi called Jerez "a key weekend to better assess our true level" as Yamaha's new satellite team.

“Jerez is not only the first track of the European season, but it’s also one that suits Yamaha’s strengths well, so I’m hopeful we can have a strong performance,” said the Pramac Yamaha team director.

“For us, this is the fifth race of the season, meaning we’ve completed our ‘shakedown’ phase. We now have more experience with the bike and a clearer understanding of how to work with our riders.

“After the difficulties in Qatar, I wouldn’t necessarily call this a restart, but I do believe it’s a key weekend to better assess our true level. 

"The M1 has definitely made progress in recent months, and I hope we can push a bit harder and bring home a good result.”

With Miguel Oliveira still sidelined by shoulder injuries, Yamaha test rider Augusto Fernandez will again step in alongside Miller at Jerez.