Jack Miller: “New tools” for Le Mans MotoGP, where Yamaha “always strong”

Jack Miller heads into the French MotoGP at Le Mans hoping to reset his season after a pointless weekends in Qatar and Jerez.

While a technical issue robbed him of a potential top-ten finish in Spain, post-race testing allowed further work on a revised set-up alongside an upgraded engine.

“I was very happy with it. Pretty much what we've asked for, they've given us,” Miller said of the engine.

Factory duo Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins have confirmed they’ll homologate the new powerplant for Le Mans. 

However, the situation at Pramac is less clear, the team stating only that “some” of the latest developments “may be implemented” this weekend.

Miller won the 2021 French MotoGP for Ducati and was runner-up in 2022. He finished eighth for KTM in last year’s Sprint, before crashing in the grand prix.

"I’m really looking forward to Le Mans - it‘s one of my favourite tracks on the calendar. The atmosphere is amazing, and the French fans are some of the best we get all season,” Miller said.

“The track itself suits my riding style, and I‘ve had good results there in the past. Even though Jerez didn‘t go our way, the Yamaha showed it has potential.

“The test gave us some new tools to work with, and this circuit has always played to the strengths of the M1."

Team director Gino Borsoi added: “I'm encouraged by Yamaha‘s progress in Jerez, both in the race weekend - evidenced by Quartararo‘s pole and podium - and in the post-race test.

“While we didn‘t get the results we were capable of in Spain, the speed is there. I believe Le Mans could be another strong weekend for us."

Before Quartararo’s Jerez podium, Miller had claimed Yamaha’s best MotoGP finish since 2023 with a fifth place at COTA.

But the Australian had a tougher time in Qatar and Jerez, prompting a revised set-up closer to the other M1 riders by the end of the Spanish event.

“We kind of went off in our own direction a little bit since Thailand,” Miller explained.

“So we basically pulled the headstock back a little bit, coming back to more what the other Yamaha guys were on and what I think is necessary for the circuits that are coming up on the calendar.

“We made some headway there, a little bit more feeling, and didn't lose that much braking performance. Then the race was going good, until it wasn't.

“One of the fairing bolts was touching the wiring loom, broke a couple of wires and she started running on three cylinders intermittently. And then she finally said no more.

“Obviously disappointed because we had some solid points on offer but sometimes it's can be you, sometimes it can be the bike. This is motorcycle racing, we'll come back in Le Mans and give it our all.”

Quartararo “rode the wheels off the thing” at Jerez

Miller was also quick to congratulate Quartararo for his pole and podium.

“It was already a mega weekend with pole position and then he's just gone and put the cherry on top of the cake. He rode the wheels off the thing and shout out to him," he said.

“We see the data. We have our strong points. He has his strong points. And I just need to try and copy some of that. It’s the reason why we ran a little bit more in that direction [with the headstock]. Just to get the wheel under us a little bit more.

“Braking is not what we're chasing. I’ve never been one that's struggled to brake late. So I think with this Yamaha package. It's about kind of doing what I can do on the brakes myself and getting something that's going to function a little better mid-corner.

“That's the direction we went in, and it was a big step.”

After missing three rounds due to injury, Miguel Oliveira will rejoin Miller in the Pramac garage this weekend.

Both riders will also race in a special Alpine livery on Sunday.