JACK MILLER COULD RACE IN AUSTRALIAN SUPERBIKES THIS WINTER AHEAD OF YAMAHA WSBK MOVE

A paddock rumour has suggested Jack Miller could spend this winter racing in Australia’s superbike scene as he prepares for a Yamaha switch in World Superbikes.

According to MotoGP News, Miller’s move to WSBK for 2027 has been announced, with his MotoGP campaign running until the final weekend of November in Valencia. That timing could leave him missing the first two pre-season test windows in Jerez—22-23 October and 26-27 November—creating a potential gap in his preparation schedule.

On the Paddock Pass podcast, journalist Steve English shared what he said were whispers from the Magny-Cours round. One of the key points was the possibility of Miller being paired with Tom Jojic, who is currently Jake Dixon’s crew chief at Honda. English said, “What’s going to be interesting to see is who ends up getting paired with Jack as his crew chief,” adding that Yamaha will need someone with World Superbikes experience who can “adapt to it.” He then noted, “I did hear Jake Dixon’s crew chief, Tom Jojic, was one of the names being linked in with it,” though he felt that talk “went a little bit quiet as the weekend went on.”

English also suggested Miller may look to his home country to keep riding during the off-season. “One of the things I heard in Magny-Cours was that Jack will do the Aussie Superbike championship for the winter rounds,” English said. The idea, he explained, is that Miller could use Michelin tyres in Australia—an advantage as WSBK is set to change tyre suppliers—while potentially riding a machine that may not be a fully World Superbike-spec R1.

The report further floated the possibility that Miller could mix commitments, including endurance events. English said he’d heard Miller “could end up in a situation where Jack does some of the endurance rounds,” and that he might also take part in other domestic championships during the summer.

The timing of those opportunities was also outlined: Miller is theoretically free to compete at One Raceaway (4-6 December) and Queensland Raceway (15-17 January). Miller has prior experience in Australia on Ducati, having ridden at The Bend in 2021 and 2022, where his appearances included a podium finish.

A separate MotoGP News update added further context to Miller’s 2027 outlook. It states that Yamaha have confirmed him for 2027 on a two-year deal alongside Andrea Locatelli, after Miller lost his MotoGP seat at Pramac to Izan Guevara. The same report claims Miller could have been in contention for a Ducati WSBK seat, but Ducati’s preference is said to be for an Italian rider to replace Nicolo Bulega, who is linked with VR46 in MotoGP. It also points to Franco Morbidelli as a possible Ducati option for 2027, noting that Miller’s “Australian passport” is described as a factor that may have cost him the “prime position” for the championship.

English’s final caution focused on the calendar mismatch: with MotoGP ending in the last week of November, Miller would miss the November Jerez tests, leaving “a session of what happens going forward for him.”

New reporting from Crash.net adds Miller’s own reaction to the Yamaha deal. Ahead of the San Marino Grand Prix at Misano, Miller said he was “really happy to announce my future” and to have “a plan in order for the next couple of years.” He described it as “a big pleasure” to continue working with Yamaha in 2027, saying he was pleased to “remain in the family” and build the rapport with the brand. Miller acknowledged the last two seasons in MotoGP had not delivered the results he wanted, adding: “It’s been… let’s say, results-wise, I would have liked more over the last two years.” He said both he and Yamaha had been trying to improve the bike, and that he believes “we are making headway.”

Miller also framed the switch as a new start after MotoGP ends, saying: “it’s just unfortunate our time here in MotoGP working together will stop, but our time in Superbike will begin.” He added, “We tried to do what we could with the M1 and now we’ll try and do what we can with the R1.”

Crash.net further underlined the testing challenge created by the MotoGP calendar. Miller called the situation “dogshit,” explaining that the MotoGP season finishes at the end of November and that this limits his Yamaha R1 testing programme. He said he is looking at the Australian Superbike Championship over the summer, but admitted the schedule is tight: he referenced a possible WorldSBK test “maybe the 10th, or there or thereabouts, in December,” then described having “15 days before Christmas” after going home, before returning to Europe in January for more testing. He added that he is hoping the next year’s calendar will be more favourable for Superbike preparation, saying he wants “a little bit of a make-up for the break throughout the year.”

Asked whether Yamaha might involve him in MotoGP testing next year, Miller said Yamaha already has Augusto Fernandez under contract and that, if they need him, “I’ll never say no. That’s it.”