TNT Sports pundit Neil Hodgson says Pramac Yamaha acquiring the services of Jack Miller is a “clever” signing for the MotoGP satellite team.
As part of its bid to regain competitiveness, Yamaha formed an alliance with Pramac to establish a satellite team.
Pramac Racing prioritised experienced riders over those from the intermediate class, signing Miguel Oliveira and Miller.
Miller has previously spent time in the KTM, Ducati, and Honda garages, a strength that stood out to former Superbike champion Hodgson.
“Obviously, we all love Jack [Miller], he’s like the most normal MotoGP rider you’ll ever meet, he’s a real character – and great for TV,” Hodgson said to Crash.net.
“I’m pleased for him, because he’s got a lot of experience, and a lot of people were questioning if it was a good signing or not.
“I’ve got to say that I think it was a really clever signing; you’ve got a rider who’s been on the Honda, Ducati, and KTM, and always when I’ve spoken to any team they say he’s very good at test riding.
“He’s one of those riders who’s good at ‘blind tests’ where they don’t tell you what they’ve done to the bike, try something, and he comes back and his feedback’s normally on point.
“I think Jack will go good. The beauty of Jack is he’s got a one-year deal, he’ll give it his best, and if it’s not enough he won’t be bitter if he doesn’t get another contract because he’s had a really good career; and I’m sure that, if a door closes in MotoGP, then quite a few would open in World Superbikes.”
Neil Hodgson predicts winless season for the Japanese marques
Hodgson offered his predictions about both Yamaha and Honda for the upcoming season.
Both Japanese marques occupied the bottom two slots in the Manufactures’ Championship and failed to feature on the rostrum.
Both Yamaha and Honda riders reported improvements in the pre-season tests in Sepang and Thailand, but Hodgson suggests that both teams will go winless once again.
“I think they’re on the way forward. Unfortunately, I can’t see them [Honda and Yamaha] leapfrogging [KTM and Aprilia] and being in the mix to fight with the Ducatis. But, obviously, the Japanese manufacturers have got the concessions, it looks like they’ve used them really well, they’ve both made steps forward.
“It’s going to be interesting to see where they can get to, but I think we’re going to have to wait until 2026 before I’m going to make bold statements like ‘I definitely think they will win races this year’ – I just cannot see it [in 2025].
“Obviously, you can have mixed weather, you can have flag-to-flags, things can happen; but on a normal, dry weekend, I can’t see a Japanese manufacturer winning any races. I hope I’m wrong.”
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