Jack Miller heads into the French MotoGP at Le Mans determined to turn his challenging start around following pointless weekends in Qatar and Jerez. After a technical failure in Spain denied him a likely top-ten finish, post-race testing offered fresh hope with an upgraded engine and a revised bike setup. Miller expressed satisfaction with the improvements, saying,
“I was very happy with it. Pretty much what we’ve asked for, they’ve given us.”
Factory riders Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins confirmed they will use the new powerplant for Le Mans, while Miller’s Pramac team plans to implement some, but not all, of the latest developments during the weekend.
Having won the 2021 French MotoGP for Ducati and finishing runner-up in 2022, Miller carries strong memories of the Le Mans circuit. Last year, he placed eighth in the Sprint race on a KTM before crashing in the main 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. He emphasized that the track complements his riding style and recalled previous strong performances there, adding,
“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.”
Miller’s team director, Gino Borsoi, sounded optimistic about Yamaha’s advancements after the Jerez race weekend and subsequent testing.
“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,”
Borsoi said. Despite the disappointing results in Spain, he stressed,
“the speed is there. I believe Le Mans could be another strong weekend for us.”
Before Quartararo’s podium finish in Jerez, Miller had recorded Yamaha’s best MotoGP result since 2023 with a fifth-place finish at COTA. The Australian faced difficulties in Qatar and Jerez, prompting a shift to a revised setup aligning more closely with other Yamaha riders by the end of the Spanish event. Miller explained,
“We kind of went off in our own direction a little bit since Thailand. 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.”
He continued,
“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.”
A mechanical fault caused by a fairing bolt touching the wiring loom broke several wires, forcing the bike to run intermittently on three cylinders before stopping completely. Miller expressed his frustration,
“Obviously disappointed because we had some solid points on offer but sometimes it 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.”
Despite his own setbacks, Miller was quick to applaud his teammate Quartararo’s performance at Jerez.
“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,”
Miller said. Reflecting on their differing strengths, he noted,
“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.”
Miller emphasized that braking is not his main challenge, remarking,
“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 the first three rounds due to injury, Miguel Oliveira returns this weekend to join Jack Miller in the Pramac garage. Both riders will sport a special Alpine livery on Sunday, adding to the weekend’s excitement and team spirit as they push for stronger results on this demanding circuit.
The upcoming races at Le Mans hold considerable significance for Jack Miller and the Yamaha squad as they seek to rebuild momentum after a difficult opening to the season. The improvements in bike setup and engine performance, combined with Miller’s determination and familiarity with the French track, suggest a potential turning point. However, the unforgiving nature of MotoGP means the team must remain cautious and focused, aware that even minor technical issues can derail progress. The decisions made in these next two races could shape Miller’s campaign and Yamaha’s competitiveness in this fiercely contested championship.
