Jack Miller and Alex Rins: Last chance to save their World Championship careers

Long-serving MotoGP riders Maverick Viñales, Alex Rins, Jack Miller, Brad Binder and Franco Morbidelli will all lose their places in the premier class at the end of this season; they must make way for Moto2 riders David Alonso, Senna Agius, Izan Guevara and Daniel Holgado, as well as the incoming Superbike champion Nicolo Bulega.

For Morbidelli and Binder, their World Championship careers will continue as they join the Ducati and BMW factory Superbike teams. Jack Miller and Alex Rins also intend to move to the production-based championship, but have not yet secured a contract ready for signing.

Rins has no chance of a place in a factory team, but has been in talks for some time with the top privateer Ducati team, Go Eleven, for whom Lorenzo Baldassarri currently holds seventh place in the overall standings at the summer break. The problem is that ‘Balda’ – as well as his predecessors Andrea Iannone and Philipp Öttl – had to bring sponsors with them so that the team could make ends meet. It remains to be seen whether Rins has companies lined up, or whether Gianni Ramello’s dynamic team can manage it on their own.

Jack Miller is not out of the running yet

Jack Miller expressed optimism last weekend during the Silverstone GP that he would secure a place in Yamaha’s factory Superbike team for 2027. Three of the four riders are confirmed for the Japanese manufacturer – Andrea Locatelli, Remy Gardner and Stefano Manzi. And there is an option on Xavi Vierge that can be exercised by September.

So far, all statements from Yamaha’s Superbike management have suggested that Vierge will remain with the team. The 29-year-old is Yamaha’s second-best rider and has on several occasions had the better of his Pata team-mate Locatelli – who has been the number one rider for the Blue team since Toprak Razgatlioglu’s departure at the end of the 2023 season.

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When Miller revealed his salary expectations, asking for one million euros a year, it seemed certain that Vierge would stay. After all, such a sum is not feasible for Yamaha in the Superbike World Championship.

Miller is far better known than Vierge

But one thing is also certain: Miller is far better known than Vierge and significantly more valuable from a marketing perspective. Yamaha’s MotoGP side expressed a desire early on to bring ‘Jackass’ into the SBK paddock. MotoGP boss Paolo Pavesio and SBK racing director Andrea Dosoli are old colleagues; they are considering together what is best for Yamaha. Contrary to media reports to the contrary, Yamaha has not yet made a decision between Miller and Vierge; the brand with the three tuning forks in its logo still has at least the rest of August to do so. As far as Miller’s salary demands are concerned, the situation is simple: he would have to accept whatever Yamaha offers him; otherwise, his World Championship career is over.