Yamaha newcomer Jack Miller talks about the V4 project in the works at the Japanese manufacturer, but doesn’t want to set the direction himself
Jack Miller first took the handlebars for his 2025 employer Yamaha during the MotoGP test in Barcelona in mid-November. The Australian will contest the upcoming season with the Pramac team, which has made the brand switch from Ducati to Yamaha.
For the future, Yamaha is working on a change in engine concept, namely away from the current inline engine with four cylinders, towards a V-engine with four cylinders. However, it is questionable whether Miller will also get the opportunity to use the V4 engine in a race.
In September, shortly after his signing as a Yamaha factory driver was announced, Miller “hasn’t had a chance to talk to anyone at Yamaha about the current state of the [V4] project.”
Unlike the contract that Pramac teammate Miguel Oliveira has signed with Yamaha, Miller’s contract only runs until the end of 2025, not 2026. Not least for this reason, the Australian is rather general about the V4 project.
Commenting on Yamaha’s decision to rely on a V-engine for the medium term, Miller says: “Developing a completely new engine is no easy task. We have seen this with Suzuki, KTM and Aprilia.”
“All of these are manufacturers that had to develop a completely new engine to enter or re-enter this championship. And that’s just something that takes a lot of time,” says the MotoGP veteran. If Yamaha goes down the V4 route, it’s because they ‘have a clear understanding of what needs to be done,’ according to Miller.
At the same time, the 29-year-old, who has MotoGP experience with Honda, Ducati and KTM, notes: “The four-cylinder in-line engine is not bad either. After all, such an engine was used to win the World Championship in 2020 (Suzuki) and 2021.”
“Whatever route they [at Yamaha] go down, I trust their decision 100 percent. But I’m certainly not going to tell them we have to do it one way or the other,” Miller emphasizes.