After weeks of speculation, it's now official: Jack Miller will leave MotoGP and join Yamaha's factory WorldSBK team for the 2025-2026 seasons. The announcement comes shortly after the Australian lost his Pramac MotoGP seat to rookie Izan Guevara.
Miller will replace Xavi Vierge at the Pata Yamaha squad. "I'm really excited to announce that I'm heading over to WorldSBK together with Yamaha, extending our partnership together. I have really enjoyed working with the brand these past few years in MotoGP and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to see what we can do on the R1. I have had a small taste of the bike at Suzuka the last couple of years, and while the WorldSBK-spec bike is a bit different I am really looking forward to this next chapter in my career and hopefully we can do something really strong over there," Miller said.
The 31-year-old's MotoGP journey began in 2015 after finishing second in Moto3 behind Alex Marquez. He went on to win once with Marc VDS Honda, three times with the factory Ducati team, and also took a podium with KTM. His best result with Yamaha came last year with fourth place in the Phillip Island Sprint.
Currently 17th in the MotoGP standings on Yamaha's new V4, Miller remains the manufacturer's second-highest rider behind Fabio Quartararo. His best finish this season is eighth, and he has been the top Yamaha rider in the last two rounds at Silverstone and Aragon.
Despite spending his entire world championship career in the grand prix paddock, Miller has Superbike experience from end-of-season appearances in the Australian championship with Ducati in 2021 and 2022. He also finished runner-up in the Suzuka 8 Hours for the past two seasons with Yamaha's factory team, where his speed on the R1 was a key factor in securing the WorldSBK deal.
Yamaha is currently enduring a tough WorldSBK season, with lead rider Andrea Locatelli only 12th in the championship and a best result of fifth. Miller's arrival is expected to provide a significant boost.
Miller's Pata Yamaha deal marks the first of several expected MotoGP-to-WorldSBK moves, alongside Brad Binder (BMW), Franco Morbidelli (Aruba.it Ducati), and Alex Rins (Goeleven Ducati). The Australian is likely to combine his WorldSBK duties with a return to Suzuka and, possibly, some MotoGP testing.
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Jack Miller will leave MotoGP after 15 seasons to join Yamaha in WorldSBK for 2027, replacing Xavi Vierge on a two-year contract.
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