Jack Miller is set for a contract extension at Pramac after Diogo Moreira turned down Yamaha. The Australian was on the brink of losing his spot in MotoGP.

After signing World Superbikes champion Toprak Razgatlioglu, Yamaha have spent months deliberating who should partner him. It has become increasingly clear that Miguel Oliveira will lose his seat through a performance clause in his contract.

But Miller still faced competition from some of Moto2’s brightest stars. Fortunately for the 17th-place rider, Moreira has chosen to join LCR instead.

Yamaha were also interested in Manuel Gonzalez, but according to The Race, Miller has now prevailed. His deal is due to expire at the end of the season, but he’s now in line for fresh terms.

Yamaha refused to guarantee Diogo Moreira a factory MotoGP seat

Moreira will replace Somkiat Chantra at Honda’s satellite team LCR. He had two key contractual demands during negotiations.

The first was a long-term deal, and the second was a ‘factory promotion guarantee’. Yamaha refused to offer that, but it seems Honda obliged.

RIDERTEAM2025 POSITIONFabio QuartararoYamaha10thAlex RinsYamaha19thToprak RazgatliogluPramacN/AJack Miller (TBC)Pramac17thYamaha’s expected 2026 roster

This is another big boost for Miller, because it means the race for a 2027 factory seat at Yamaha is still open. Fabio Quartararo has threatened to leave, but the team will no doubt do all they can to retain their biggest asset.

Razgatlioglu will naturally be targeting a promotion given his status, with Alex Rins looking vulnerable in light of his 2025 form. Miller knows that a strong 2026 season will put him firmly in the conversation, whereas Moreira could have blocked his path.

Jack Miller’s saviours inside Yamaha have emerged

Miller suspected that Yamaha wanted to replace him as they continually pushed back their confirmation deadline. He became increasingly agitated in his media debriefs.

As he hinted before the Hungarian GP weekend, Miller had WSBK offers on the table. After the news from the Yamaha camp, suitors Ducati and Honda moved on to other targets.

It has emerged that Yamaha’s Japanese management wanted to keep Miller, whereas the Italian contingent were more inclined to make a change.

Over in Iwata, they were wary about fielding two rookies at Pramac. Miller’s experience will be particularly important as Yamaha introduce their V4 engine, which will make its Grand Prix debut at Misano next month.