Jack Miller says extreme wheelspin forced him to use “no more than about a quarter throttle” during the closing stages of the Thai MotoGP.
With the new V4 already struggling for rear grip, the Yamahas suffered more than most in the scorching temperatures.
In a race that saw Honda’s Joan Mir retire due to visible wear in the centre of his rear tyre, and some Ducati and Aprilia riders also struggling to control wheelspin, Miller’s lap times went off a cliff.
The Australian dropped over six-seconds from his best lap of the race, finishing slower than he had been from a standing start on lap one.
Miller reached the finish line 48 seconds behind race winner Marco Bezzecchi, 18 seconds behind the leading Yamaha of Fabio Quartararo and ahead of only Ducati stand-in Michele Pirro.
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Jack Miller, 2026 Thai MotoGP
© Gold and Goose
Rookie team-mate Toprak Razgatlioglu also passed Miller with six laps remaining. Razgatlioglu also suffered in the closing laps, although the Monster Yamaha duo of Quartararo and Alex Rins kept a more consistent pace.
Yamaha MotoGP race times in 2026 Thai MotoGP, plus winner Marco Bezzecchi.
© Peter McLaren
“Overall, the bike itself didn‘t feel bad over the distance, and physically I felt fine, but from the very beginning I understood we had an issue with the rear tyre,” Miller said.
“I tried to manage it as best as I could – short-shifting, being smooth, waiting to pick the bike up on the exits – but as the laps went on, it became more and more difficult.
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“In the end, the tyre was completely worn in the centre and on the straights I couldn‘t use more than about a quarter throttle. It was a tough situation to manage.
“Still, it was our first full race with the V4. It didn‘t go the way we wanted, but the important thing is that all four bikes finished and we gathered a lot of information.
“It‘s a base to build from, and there‘s plenty of room to improve as we head to Brazil.”
Pramac team director Gino Borsoi knew the team was in for a “difficult” Sunday.
“The main issue was the high temperature, which affected everyone, but it seemed to impact us a little more,” Borsoi said.
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“We have to accept that this is our starting point. We‘re confident that we can improve from here as we move into the next races.”
Round two of the MotoGP season takes place at Goiania, Brazil, later this month.
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