Current Pramac Yamaha MotoGP duo Miguel Oliveira and Jack Miller have shed more light on their prospects for 2026 and beyond, with at least one of them now guaranteed to leave following the signing of Toprak Razgatlioglu.
Yamaha's confirmation of the Razgatlioglu deal for next year ramps up the pressure not just on Miller - who had joined Pramac on a one-year deal - but also Oliveira - who had signed a two-year deal with Yamaha but one that is now known to contain termination clauses.
Oliveira - who is now the favourite to lose his seat - hadn't found the adaptation to the Yamaha M1 entirely straightforward before an injury at Termas de Rio Hondo in March took him out of multiple rounds.
The termination clause in his deal is thought to relate to his position in the championship relative to other Yamaha riders, and he faces a 29-point gap to the nearest of his fellow regulars, Alex Rins.
It is understood he would need to overhaul at least one of Rins, Jack Miller or Fabio Quartararo before a certain point mid-season - and the way Oliveira spoke at Mugello following Razgatlioglu's announcement suggested he is aware this is likely an impossible task. The Portuguese instead indicated that his best path forward is to convince Yamaha to proceed with the contract.
Yamaha riders' points totals
Quartararo - 59
Miller - 31
Rins - 31
Fernandez (tester) - 6
Oliveira - 3
Yamaha riders' points per round
Quartararo - 7.4
Miller - 3.9
Rins - 3.9
Fernandez (tester) - 1.5
Oliveira - 0.6
Average position in The Race's rankings
Quartararo - 7.4
Miller - 13.1
Fernandez (tester) - 13.8
Rins - 14.8
Oliveira - 16.6
"Look, for now the situation with Toprak became public, and I am aware of my situation, but at the same time I'm also aware of my value as a rider, of course, and where my place is, and that is MotoGP," said Oliveira.
"I guess now, more than actually saying more things to you about this, it's just go out on track and twist the throttle a little bit and see how it goes."
He admitted that whatever he could say publicly "would not influence" the outcome and that "it's really up to Yamaha now" - and thus up to Oliveira to make his case.
Asked if this wasn't the situation he expected when he signed a two-year deal, Oliveira said: "Exactly. But that's the thing. MotoGP is made of this - it's a very high-demanding, high-performance world.
"I had an injury which didn't enable me to perform. But either I latch on to that or I go on track and actually show and prove my value, you know? I choose the second one.
"And I don't want to go into excuses or discuss if it's fair or not fair. I don't want to go that way. I just go on the track and do my job."
Miller was a lot more coy about his situation, setting the tone from the very start of his media session by saying: "It's the most telephones I've had in front of me all year - so... I guess you guys want to know something! Unfortunately I've got nothing for you. I had a good week at home."
He said of his prospects for getting a new deal in MotoGP: "I feel like I'm doing the best I can do. Obviously you can always improve, and I'm open to any suggestions from anybody, from them, from anybody, to try and better myself as a rider, as a role in the team.
"Yeah, I feel good, I feel better than I felt 12 months ago, that's for certain. A lot better.
"It's nice to be competitive, to be able to talk to [different] manufacturers and stuff and be wanted - but I'm enjoying where I am.
"It's really-really-really nice to be in Pramac, and they've given me this opportunity to show myself again. I'm thankful and regardless of what goes forward I'm extremely grateful to Yamaha and Pramac for this opportunity."
It is not totally clear yet whether Yamaha is absolutely certain to keep one of the Pramac riders. In the meantime, like Oliveira (who is waiting for Yamaha's decision before assessing any alternative options), Miller has made it clear his priority is staying in MotoGP.
"I could go to Superbike and make better money," said Miller, who described his situation as "just Groundhog Day 12 months on" though had admitted the outlook was a better one.
"But my objective is... I'm not here for that [the money], I'm here to try and race the best in the world. And that's not taking anything away [from the riders in World Superbikes] - I'm talking best in general, the most expensive, most extreme, powerful motorcycles that you can ride, the best brakes, the best everything.
"That's why I enjoy it. I am not saying that I don't like superbikes - I love it, and I was watching as you were hearing my name [discussed in rumours] on the [WSB] broadcast every two seconds in Misano.
"But... we'll explore options here first, because like I said I don't feel like my time as a MotoGP rider is done, I still feel like I'm getting better with age."
