MotoGP | Pramac riders’ choice will show Yamaha’s determination

Whether officially announced or not, all the positions on the 2025 MotoGP starting grid have been defined. There is only one free place, that of the second rider of Prima Pramac Racing, the structure that will allow Yamaha to regain the much-coveted satellite team.

The Japanese manufacturer, which until a few years ago dominated the premier class with champions such as Valentino Rossi (2004, 2005, 2008 and 2009), Jorge Lorenzo (2010, 2012 and 2015) and just three years ago (2021), with Fabio Quartararo, has lost its competitive advantage over European manufacturers, especially when compared to Ducati.

The turning point in the widening of this gap came precisely when the tuning fork brand lost its satellite team, at the end of 2022, due to disagreements with Razlan Razali, the owner of that structure. Yamaha executives did not understand the significance of that loss, even more so when the championship gave a slot to Valentino Rossi’s team, who immediately settled in Ducati, turning his back on the manufacturer of which he is still an ambassador today.

This has led to Ducati having eight bikes on the grid in 2023 and 2024, further accelerating the development of its prototype to the point where it is out of reach for others. Just look at the top 10 of the British Grand Prix, where eight Desmosedici GPs were among the first ten prototypes to cross the finish line, none of which were Japanese.

Once the serious mistake was discovered, Lin Jarvis, managing director of Yamaha, got to work to recover the two extra bikes as soon as possible. In 2023 he tried to convince Rossi and his VR46 to leave the Bologna brand and take the step that everyone thought was natural. The answer, however, was the same as a year later: no.

“VR46 is our plan A, our first choice and what we would like to do. Plan B is Pramac. After that, there are no other alternatives,” a Yamaha executive told Motorsport.com at Le Mans, before closing a deal with Paolo Campinoti’s team at the end of June.

Yamaha has done its homework. Jarvis managed to convince Quartararo to renew and then expand the contingent to four M1s for 2025, one of the first conditions set by “El Diablo” to stay. Last week, the renewal of Alex Rins was announced, which closes the line-up of the factory team. At this point, the leaders of the Japanese manufacturer are focusing on the creation of the satellite structure.

“It’s our partner team, Yamaha supplies the bikes and the riders, we will decide, but obviously we will decide in accordance with Pramac’s interests and concerns,” another Silverstone official told Motorsport.com. “Who will make the decision on the identity of the Pramac riders?” the insider was asked directly. “The first option was to include an experienced rider (Oliveira) and a young rider, a rookie. In this approach, the first candidate to partner the Portuguese was Sergio Garcia and the second was Alonso Lopez, both in Moto2. The second option was to hire two experienced riders, with knowledge of the category, to help develop the bike more quickly,” the Yamaha source said.

Motorsport.com is aware, however, that neither of the two scenarios described above will come to pass. “After speaking with Pramac, we evaluated the possibility of a young Italian rider, for a question of sensitivity with the sponsors,” continues the source, referring to the wishes of the sponsor Prima of Paolo Campionoti’s team. In this scenario, the name of Tony Arbolino has been mentioned.

How determined is Yamaha to focus on the development of the M1?

This weekend at Silverstone, Jack Miller’s name was back on the table. On Thursday, the eve of the Grand Prix, the Australian said his phone hadn’t rung during the summer break. “I have no offers,” he said, setting off alarm bells in a championship that has always encouraged diversity in terms of nationality, but without excluding the best riders, regardless of their country of origin. “If there are a lot of Italian and Spanish riders on the grid it’s because they are fast,” Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of championship promoter Dorna, has always defended.

Miller’s cry for help reached the right ears and, in less than 48 hours, the Townsville rider had a meeting in Pramac’s hospitality, along with his manager, Aki Ajo, and a member of the championship’s commercial department. Nothing came of this meeting, but Motorsport.com interprets that Miller is a solid option to race an M1.

This would leave Pramac with two riders with identical profiles: Oliveira and Miller are the same age (29 years old) and have the same experience (14 years in the MotoGP), have won a fairly even number of races (four for the Australian and five for the rider from Pragal), have been through official and satellite teams, know the sector and are certainly interesting from a commercial point of view, given that they are the only representatives of their respective countries in MotoGP.

If in Iwata or Gerno di Lesmo, where all Yamaha operations are now centralized, they believe that Miller is the solution, it makes perfect sense for them to close for his arrival. But if Yamaha comes to Miller’s rescue only because of external pressure, this will cast serious doubts on the project.

A dramatic turn of events and a rider signing his passport would lead one to conclude that the new ownership of the world championship coming at the end of the year is more focused on diversity than speed. But, above all, it would give a real measure of Yamaha’s determination to put the development and growth of the bike at the center of its priorities, above all else.