Miguel Oliveira ‘will leave’ Pramac at the end of the 2025 MotoGP season, according to a report. It seems Yamaha have finally made a decision on his future.
Oliveira signed a two-year deal at Pramac after leaving Trackhouse, but he hasn’t met the terms of a performance clause. A lengthy injury absence has hampered him, but he’s struggled even when fit.
The Portuguese rider had to rank inside Yamaha’s top three in the championship, but he’s only scored six points in 15 races (including Sprints). That puts him 35 behind Alex Rins.
Naturally, the next question is what this means for teammate Jack Miller. The two riders have been battling to save their seats after the signing of World Superbikes star Toprak Razgatlioglu.
Jack Miller has ‘a good chance’ of keeping Pramac seat, but Deniz Oncu could challenge him
According to Marca’s report, Miller’s strong qualifying performances have given him a ‘good chance’ of staying at Pramac. The 30-year-old has started in the top 10 five times this year.
Yamaha also believe that Miller’s experience – he’ll be on the verge of 200 races by the end of the season – will aid the development of the M1. The Japanese manufacturer are preparing to switch from an inline four to a V4 engine.
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But a contract extension isn’t guaranteed just yet. Miller faces competition from Deniz Oncu, a Moto2 rider.
Oncu has notched two victories and four podiums in 28 starts in the intermediate class. He currently sits sixth in the standings.
Pramac contender rules himself out of the running in boost to Jack Miller
Pramac have also been linked with Manuel Gonzalez and Diogo Moreira, two other high-flyers at Moto2 level. It’s clear that they would like to sign a young rider in theory.
But it’s a delicate moment for the project with an engine change looming and Fabio Quartararo, the prized asset, threatening to leave unless he sees progress. In these circumstances, the stability and expertise a rider like Miller can offer may be too valuable to sacrifice.
In terms of established candidates, Enea Bastianini now intends to stay at Tech3. The internal rider market has quietened down after world champion Jorge Martin agreed to stay at Aprilia.
Oliveira could stay within the Yamaha ranks as a test rider, potentially taking over from Cal Crutchlow. Neither he nor Miller seem particularly interested in swapping disciplines with Razgatlioglu.