As Pramac faces a choice between Jack Miller and Miguel Oliveira for 2026, sporting arguments are no longer enough. It's now a question of market share, popularity... and big money. Liberty Media is therefore in the running.
Jack Miller is playing big for his future in MotoGP. As the season progresses, the Australian rider sees his place in Pramac Yamaha for 2026 increasingly contested. On a purely sporting level, his arguments are not infallible: although he dominates his teammate Miguel Oliveira in qualifying (7-0) and in the majority of completed races (6-2), Miller has scored only four points over the last three weekends. A worrying drop in form, at a time when the management of Pramac must decide who will occupy the last available seat in the team in 2026.
Miguel Oliveira, despite a start to the season weighed down by an injury and four missed races, retains a trump card: its factory contract two years. Of course, it does not currently satisfy the performance clause which requires that it be among the three best drivers Yamaha , but his physical condition could work in his favor as an alibi during internal discussions.
On the other hand, if Miller had started the season with a good momentum, his recent results have hardly strengthened his case. And the announcement of the arrival in 2026 of the double Superbike world champion Toprak Razgatlioglu further complicates the situation, reducing the possible future between Miller et Olive tree.
The Miller Business Asset
Yet, as journalist Simon Patterson points out in The Race MotoGP podcast, sporting performance may not be the deciding factor. Miller has a certain commercial weight.
« Commercially, Miller is more relevant, both because he is Jack Miller and because he is an Australian driver at a time when the market is struggling. ", analyzes Patterson.
MotoGP has just come under the flag Liberty Medium, and the American company wants to capitalize on figures capable of seducing English-speaking markets. Miller, one of the few English-speaking drivers on the grid, has become the natural spokesperson for Australia, but also for the United Kingdom and the United States. Where the Portuguese market, despite the popularity ofOlive tree, is considered less strategic.
« No one in MotoGP cares as much about the Portuguese market as they do about the Australian market, or by extension the British market. " Patterson continues.
The example of Australian Grand Prix last year says it all: 34 000 spectators attended the race at Phillip Island, to a capacity of 92 000 places. The room for growth is enormous, and the presence of a charismatic Australian driver like Miller is considered essential to revive the craze.
With the departure of Cal Crutchlow, Miller is now the main English speaker on the set MotoGPHis outspoken personality, his closeness to the public and his ability to embody the discipline to English-speaking fans make him almost essential for Liberty Medium. And this aspect could weigh heavily when it comes to the final choice.
Sportingly Jack Miller must absolutely raise the bar in the upcoming races to consolidate his position. But even if he struggles to convince on the track, his future could ultimately be decided... in the marketing offices.
