A Superbike comeback? Jack Miller and Yamaha say goodbye to MotoGP for a new challenge

Tuesday, 08 September 2026 at 15:58

Jack Miller will bid farewell to MotoGP at the end of 2026 to test himself in the Superbike World Championship, still with Yamaha. The details.

After the farewell to Vierge, here’s the official news: Jack Miller is leaving MotoGP to relaunch in the Superbike World Championship with Yamaha. Nothing new, the switch has been known for some time, but from today his move to production-derived racing is official with a two-year deal for 2027-2028. The collaboration between Miller and the tuning fork brand continues—indeed, the current Pramac Yamaha MotoGP rider will be reunited with an R1 he already knows well, particularly from the Suzuka 8 Hours with Iwata’s factory squad. How do you think he’ll fare in WorldSBK?

YAMAHA ANNOUNCES JACK MILLER FOR THE SUPERBIKE CHALLENGE

Jack Miller brings extensive experience to Yamaha’s WorldSBK project, having spent 15 years racing in the World Championship, including 12 in the premier class. Miller has claimed four MotoGP victories and 23 podiums over his MotoGP career, with a best overall championship result of fourth in 2021. The Australian spent the last two seasons in MotoGP with the Prima Pramac Yamaha team, where his professionalism and experience proved invaluable in developing Yamaha’s brand-new MotoGP V4 machine.

Miller is familiar with the production-derived R1 he’ll race in WorldSBK, having twice contested the Suzuka 8 Hours with the Yamaha Factory Racing Team alongside Andrea Locatelli, who will be his teammate in the official Yamaha WorldSBK squad next season. The duo, together with veteran Katsuyuki Nakasuga, secured second place in the last two editions of the prestigious endurance race.

COMMENTS FROM THE PROTAGONISTS

Jack Miller: “I’m really excited to announce that I’ll be moving to WorldSBK together with Yamaha. I’ve really enjoyed working with the brand these past few years in MotoGP and I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to see what we can do with the R1. I’ve had a small taste of the bike at Suzuka over the last two years and, although the WorldSBK version is a bit different, I can’t wait to start this new chapter of my career and I hope we can do something really strong there.”

Niccolò Canepa – Road Racing Sporting Manager, Yamaha Motor Europe: “We are extremely excited to welcome Jack Miller to the Yamaha WorldSBK project in 2027, and I’m personally very happy to have him with us. The opportunity to bring a rider of his experience and talent into our official team was too good to pass up, and we can’t wait to begin the first tests. His Grand Prix experience, especially his knowledge of Michelin tires, will be extremely valuable for us. He has already achieved great results with the R1 at Suzuka, so we’re eager to see what he can do with the WorldSBK-specific bike and how he can contribute to the continued development of the R1. Beyond the technical aspect, Jack’s personality and international profile will be a major asset in strengthening Yamaha’s presence and giving even more visibility to the Superbike World Championship. We look forward to starting this new chapter together.”

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