Jack Miller: “There’s more to squeeze out of” Yamaha inline-four engine

Jack Miller has delivered his verdict on Yamaha’s engine saga.

The Australian reiterated his established opinion that there is still potential and validity in the inline-four configuration, which Yamaha currently use.

They are developing a V4 which will move them in line with their rivals.

“As I’ve said all along, I think there’s more than one way to skin a cat,” Miller said.

“The inline-four was World Champion in 2020 and 2021, so there’s no reason to say that they can’t be strong.

“After riding an inline-four, you understand the pros and the cons of it; I think the centre of gravity is something fantastic about it, obviously the width is maybe one of the bigger issues, but definitely being able to put the fuel tank and everything down a lot lower without having that cylinder underneath it [is good].

“There’s definitely different ways to go around things, and I still believe there’s more to squeeze out of an inline-four than what we’re getting at the moment.

“You don’t need to close doors as well. If you say ‘we need that,’ that is not the way to work.

“I think Yamaha are approaching it in a good way and trying to understand all the circumstances before making a decision.”

Miller added that Yamaha’s experience with the inline-four is also a factor.

“I think they’ve been working with this project for so long, they have a wealth of knowledge of the inline-four engine, to say one way or the other is silly because in racing it’s like that, everybody sees [someone] doing one thing for two years in a row and everybody follows like sheep,” he said.

“It’s the same with the Boscoscuro/Kalex situation in Moto2. It’s what happens.”

Jack Miller reveals next step of Yamaha progression

The 2025 MotoGP season is Jack Miller’s first as a Yamaha rider, and the Australian is sure of what the Japanese factory needs to continue progressing in MotoGP.

Miller suggested that all Yamaha needs is: “Time.”

He continued: “That’s it. They’ve got all the pieces of the puzzle, they just need time to slot them all together.

“We’re chasing tenths here, not seconds; they’re so close but so far. The hardest ones to find are those last few tenths.”

Miller went on to praise Yamaha’s test team, which this year has brought in Augusto Fernandez and Andrea Dovizioso.

“They’re [Yamaha] busting their arses, with Augusto [Fernandez] and Dovi [Andrea Dovizioso] as well, and even Cal [Crutchlow] when his hand sorts itself out, they’ve got a fantastic squad there in terms of trying to work and develop and bring us stuff,” the Pramac Racing rider said.

“I would possibly say one of the best test teams around in terms of that department, in terms of the wealth of knowledge with Dovi and then also the youth and keenness of Augusto, I feel like he feels he’s got unfinished business here and that role as a test rider is like his way back in so he’s trying to give it his all.

“So, you’ve got those two working together, and that’s helping the project as well, so they’re ticking all the right boxes and doing all the right things. So, it’s just a matter of time, basically, until it all comes together and they get back to where they belong.”

For Miller’s part, despite being in the satellite Pramac Racing team he feels as though he is being treated as a factory rider since his move to Yamaha, equivalent to the roles he had at KTM or Ducati before that.

“[It’s] pretty much identical in terms of parts, in terms of test items, everything,” Miller said of his status compared to that of Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins in the factory team.

“The way that Yamaha – from let’s say a company that was quite closed in the past with what they did in terms of factory riders and satellite riders – they’ve turned a new leaf completely and it’s an open slather, you could say.

“We structurally worked through the whole test plan throughout the whole testing programme, whether I try a chassis and it goes over the different days through all the riders to try to gain information from everybody to then do better the next step.

“I think they’re doing the correct way and it shows their full commitment to improve the project and improve their position.”