Jack Miller and his last home MotoGP Grand Prix: “The class clown? I don’t know if anyone will want that role.”

The 2026 Australian Grand Prix will be Jack Miller’s final home race in MotoGP, as he will move to the World Superbike Championship next year. It will also be MotoGP’s last visit to Phillip Island before the series moves to Adelaide in 2027. At Thursday’s press conference, the Pramac Yamaha rider struck his usual balance between emotion and humor.

Asked who might take over his role as the paddock’s funniest character, the 31-year-old Australian replied, "I don’t know if anyone wants to take on that role! It’s like being the class clown. It’s just a long list of things not to do... Someone will come along and step up!". Recently, at Motegi, he entertained the fans with a two-up stoppie while giving Alex Rins a lift back to the pits. "It’s been an incredible journey. How I’ve managed to stay here for 12 years is beyond me. But I did it. So I’ve been lucky!"

Lucky or not, Miller has won four MotoGP races and taken 23 podiums in the premier class with Honda, Ducati and KTM. Phillip Island has given him unforgettable memories: in 2014, he won the Moto3 race in front of his home crowd; in 2019, he finished third in the premier class; and in 2022, Turn 4 was officially renamed “Miller Corner”.

It all began in 2009, on a 125cc bike. "It was the first time I’d raced on a Grand Prix circuit that was so wide. At first, I didn’t know what to do because there was so much space," he recalled. "This place is phenomenal. On a MotoGP bike here, you’re dancing with the machine; you have to manage the shaking, the wheelies and the wind. You can never push flat out—you’re playing with the bike the whole time, and that’s what makes it even more fun."

For the occasion, Miller has brought a helmet and leathers in special green and gold colors, and his Yamaha will sport the same colors too. Unlike most of his rivals, though, he won’t really be saying goodbye to the track: he’ll return in February for the opening round of the 2027 World Superbike Championship.

The forecast calls for sunshine on Friday and rain from Saturday into Sunday. That’s good news for Miller, who qualified on the front row last year with the old inline-four M1 and finished fourth in the dry Sprint. Things are different with the new V4: "Rain will be our best friend this weekend. Phillip Island is a track where, if your bike isn’t working perfectly, you can still make up some of the difference."

He went on to explain: "Our bike turns pretty well. Our biggest weaknesses are in fourth, fifth and sixth gear. We won’t be using them much here," referring to the Yamaha’s lower top speed compared with its rivals.

A full-throttle charge in the wet to win his final home race? "When am I not going for it? I’m getting older, but I’m definitely not getting any wiser! We’ll certainly give it a go and see what we can do." The Australian fans have been warned.

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