HODGSON SEES MILLER BACK AT HIS BEST IN PHILLIP ISLAND FAREWELL

Jack Miller has given home fans plenty to cheer about at Phillip Island, where MotoGP is making its final visit for the foreseeable future. The 2026 Australian Grand Prix is also his last home race in the premier class: the 31-year-old Pramac rider is set to move to WorldSBK in 2027, with Izan Guevara taking his place.

Miller’s pace has stood out despite the Yamaha being described as the grid’s most difficult bike. He was third in first practice, then missed a direct place in Q2 by less than a tenth. He recovered in qualifying, reaching the final session and spending time on provisional pole before finishing fifth. That was his best starting position of the season. In Saturday’s Sprint, he took seventh to score his first points in the shorter race format.

MotoGP pundit Neil Hodgson said the Australian was showing his best form. “We are seeing prime Jack Miller,” he said on TNT Sports after qualifying. “He will risk it all tomorrow, and today as well. He doesn’t care.”

Hodgson expects Miller to attack in Sunday’s Grand Prix, with wet conditions forecast. He said the rider would not be content to finish seventh or tenth, and predicted he would be aggressive from the start, looking to make up time early and attack at Turn 4. “It’s going to be a rostrum or gravel trap for him,” Hodgson said.

Miller’s strong weekend has offered a fitting chance to make an impression at his home circuit before his departure from MotoGP. Hodgson believes the local favourite will put everything on the line in the race, rather than settle for a modest result.