Jack Miller joins Yamaha’s WorldSBK factory team for 2027
NXTbets Pro | Published On: September 8, 2026
Miller joins Yamaha
Jack Miller will leave MotoGP and join Yamaha’s factory WorldSBK team for 2027, a move that gives the Australian rider a new path after he lost his Pramac MotoGP seat to rookie Izan Guevara. Yamaha said Miller will replace Xavi Vierge in the factory lineup and team with Andrea Locatelli. Reports said the deal runs two years, and his salary was not disclosed.
The signing keeps Miller inside the Yamaha family and shifts him into a category that values race craft, consistency and speed on a production-based machine. Miller has raced in grand prix world championship competition since moving up in 2015, and his résumé gives Yamaha a rider with proven top-level experience. He has won four MotoGP races and has scored podiums for Honda, Ducati and KTM. That record gives the factory a rider who knows the pressure of leading programs and the demands of a long season. The move also marks a clean break from the MotoGP seat he lost, and it places him in a different fight with a different bike. Yamaha gets a rider who has already worked at the sharp end of the sport. Miller gets a fresh start with a manufacturer that sees value in his background and in his ability to adapt quickly.
Yamaha backs Miller
Yamaha pointed to Miller’s Superbike experience as a major factor in the deal. His appearances in the Australian championship and his runner-up finishes in the Suzuka 8 Hours over the last two seasons gave the manufacturer more evidence that he can make the move to WorldSBK. Miller said he is excited to continue with Yamaha and race the R1, and he said he has already ridden the Yamaha R1 at Suzuka. That matters for a switch into a series where familiarity with the bike and quick adjustment to race distance can shape results.
Miller’s current MotoGP season also helps frame the move. He is 17th in the championship on Yamaha’s new V4, and his best finish this season is eighth. Those results show the challenge he faces in Grand Prix racing this year, but they also explain why the WorldSBK opportunity carries weight. Yamaha has a rider in place who has already delivered in multiple classes, collected wins in MotoGP and shown endurance pace in Suzuka. The manufacturer is banking on that mix of speed and experience carrying over to the R1. Miller, in turn, lands in a program that wants him for what he has already done on a variety of machines, not just for what he can still prove in MotoGP.
Vierge exits Yamaha
Xavi Vierge’s departure clears the way for Miller’s arrival. Yamaha confirmed that Vierge will leave its WorldSBK team at the end of the season, ending his time with the factory outfit. Vierge moved to WorldSBK with Honda in 2022 and joined Pata Maxus Yamaha at the start of this year. His exit gives Yamaha a chance to reset its lineup and move forward with a new pairing for the next phase of its WorldSBK effort.
The handoff also gives the team continuity through the end of the current campaign before Miller steps in. Vierge remains part of the present structure for now, while Yamaha lines up Miller and Locatelli for the future. For Miller, the move turns a disappointing loss of a MotoGP seat into a direct route to a factory ride with another major manufacturer. For Yamaha, it brings in a rider with a broad racing background, a record of MotoGP wins and podiums, and recent endurance success at Suzuka. The switch puts the R1 at the center of Miller’s next chapter and gives Yamaha another experienced name for its WorldSBK program.
