Miguel Oliveira Shocked by Yamaha’s Decision, Leaves His Future Wide Open

The MotoGP paddock has been shaken by Miguel Oliveira’s unexpected exit from Pramac Yamaha, as the team confirmed Jack Miller’s contract extension through 2026. The announcement, while not directly stating Oliveira’s departure, effectively confirmed that the Portuguese rider would not remain with the team beyond the current season. After seven seasons in MotoGP, Oliveira’s future now hangs in the balance, with options ranging from a testing role in MotoGP to a switch to World Superbikes.

For Oliveira, this decision has been nothing short of gut-wrenching. A rider known for his intelligence, consistency, and technical feedback, he now faces one of the toughest chapters of his career.

The Shocking Turn of Events

When Oliveira signed with Pramac Yamaha for the 2025 season, the move was seen as a smart step both for the rider and the factory. The team needed experienced riders to help develop Yamaha’s new satellite project, and Oliveira, a multiple MotoGP race winner, seemed like a perfect fit. The deal was structured as a 1+1 year contract, with a performance clause allowing Yamaha to make a decision mid-season.

That clause became significant after Oliveira suffered an early-season injury following a collision with rookie Fermin Aldeguer at Termas de Rio Hondo. The injury delayed his return, and by the time he was back on the bike, Yamaha had already started making decisions for its future lineup. Toprak Razgatlioglu, fresh off a World Superbike championship, had already been confirmed for a 2026 Pramac seat. Yamaha also pursued Moto2 rising star Diogo Moreira, and when Moreira declined, the team opted to re-sign Jack Miller.

The result left Oliveira in a vulnerable position — not due to lack of ability, but timing and circumstance. As he explained, the waiting process was “stomach-twisting”, as he continued racing while knowing decisions about his future were being made behind the scenes.

Miguel Oliveira Opens Up

Speaking to the media, Oliveira revealed that while he understood a decision was coming, the manner and timing still surprised him.

“I knew there was this decision pending, of course, but it came as a surprise in the sense of the whole picture,” Oliveira said. “When I decided to join in 2024, this project was on a 1+1 year deal with a performance clause. The idea was to get two experienced riders on the second team, just to try to get feedback and help transition the project.”

He highlighted that two key moments influenced Yamaha’s decision: his injury and the timing of their rider commitments.

“The first moment was the injury, where I came back too late into the season, where the decision on the second rider was already made for Pramac [in signing Razgatlioglu]. So, kind of, I felt like the weakest link because I was coming from an injury and every race was kind of a ‘prove yourself, show us what you’re worth.’”

For Oliveira, the situation wasn’t just about losing a ride — it was the uncertainty that took a toll.

“The decision actually taking so long was creating more anxiety maybe, and coming here, and getting all — you guys have been normal about it, it was not a massacre, but there was always this topic pending, and you guys always asked, so coming into the weekends having to deal with that, plus with your stomach really twisting sometimes because you don’t know anything.”

Ultimately, the decision came late — only after Yamaha’s attempt to sign Moreira fell through — and left Oliveira with few options in the MotoGP paddock.

Was He Treated Fairly?

The debate now among fans and pundits is whether Yamaha made the right call. Oliveira was asked if he had done enough to keep his seat. His response reflected the complexity of MotoGP’s performance analysis.

“MotoGP is not a linear thing in terms of analysing performance. Even guys who stay many, many years on the same bike, they struggle for some reason that you might not really find a technical explanation for. You look at [Brad] Binder, you look at Pecco [Bagnaia] now maybe struggling a little bit more. And they’ve all been on the same bikes for many, many years.”

Oliveira pointed out that constant team and bike changes require time to adapt — something he hasn’t fully had.

“I’ve been jumping on different bikes from year to year. I think there’s a period where you need to adapt; there’s a period where you’re kind of there but you crash, you learn a few things; and there’s the period where you actually start to capitalise the result. I feel I’m still on this transition of capitalising the result. It has not come for me yet. But it’s true that the last few months the bike has been not the perfect bike to ride — see Austria for example, the four Yamahas last on the grid.”

Comparisons have also surfaced regarding Jorge Martin’s attempt to exit Aprilia via an injury clause earlier this year, which was met with public criticism. Yamaha’s decision to release Oliveira under similar conditions has generated less backlash, something Oliveira himself refused to comment on, stating simply, “It’s not really up to me to judge.”

The Emotional Side of a Business Decision

Oliveira made it clear that while MotoGP is a dream job, it’s still a job — and jobs come with bosses who make tough calls.

“At the end of the day, it’s a job of passion, a lot of passion comes into this, it’s a goal, it’s a childhood dream to go to MotoGP, to ride a bike, to have this privilege, it’s quite big. But at the same time it’s a job. And as any job, you have a boss and the boss decides, makes decisions.”

He added that internal discussions within the team made him believe he might stay, making the final decision even harder to take.

“I said before that this came as a surprise — it came as a surprise in the sense of me talking to everybody in the team, the Japanese group, trying to get their feedback on how I’m doing, and they really seemed to like my feedback and the way I work. So, you kind of start to think that actually things can go in your favour. But finally there’s one guy that decides, and that guy said nope, and that’s it.”

What’s Next for Miguel Oliveira?

With Pramac Yamaha no longer an option, Oliveira’s future is wide open. He’s weighing a move to World Superbikes, with potential offers from BMW and Yamaha, while also considering a MotoGP test rider role — possibly with Aprilia.

“On paper it looks like there’s different doors open for me, and at the moment I haven’t decided anything yet, I’m really open to hearing any suggestions that I might find interesting.”

For Oliveira, staying connected to MotoGP remains a priority, even if it’s no longer in a full-time racing capacity.

“My heart is really connected to this paddock and of course I know the thing available in this paddock might be only test rider, but to be linked to a factory, to help build a bike, is something stimulating, it’s different. But also I really want to race.”

Whatever direction Oliveira chooses next, it’s clear that his talent and experience remain highly valued across motorcycle racing. For fans, the hope is that this is not the last time we see the Portuguese star on a MotoGP grid.