Assen Exposed It All: Rins Just Gave Yamaha the Final Reason to Pick Jack Miller

Jack Miller and Miguel Oliveira are locked in a tense fight to secure their MotoGP future with Pramac Yamaha for 2026. With Toprak Razgatlioglu poised to shake up Yamaha’s satellite line-up next year, the spotlight has turned to who will be sacrificed. But after a disastrous qualifying at the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix in Assen, it’s not Miller or Oliveira who should be sweating—it’s Alex Rins.

Toprak Razgatlioglu’s Arrival Forces Yamaha to Make a Tough Choice

Yamaha’s high-profile signing of Toprak Razgatlioglu has sent shockwaves through the MotoGP paddock. The two-time WorldSBK champion will make his long-awaited debut in the prototype championship in 2026, riding a factory-spec YZR-M1 under the Pramac banner. His entry, though, comes at a cost. Yamaha must now decide who gets the axe to make room for their Turkish star.

Although Jack Miller only signed a one-year deal for 2025, Oliveira holds a two-year contract. However, there’s a release clause in the Portuguese rider’s deal—Yamaha can cut him if he’s the lowest-scoring M1 rider at the 2025 summer break. Right now, that’s exactly where Oliveira finds himself.

Rins Crumbles at Assen, While Miller Continues to Outperform

But if recent performance is the deciding factor, the numbers don’t lie—Alex Rins has become Yamaha’s weakest link.

During qualifying at Assen, Fabio Quartararo stormed to his fourth pole of the season with a 1:30.651, while Rins limped to P19, the worst of all Yamaha riders. The only names behind him in Q1 were Ai Ogura, Aleix Espargaro, and Somkiat Chantra. That’s not the company a factory rider should be keeping.

Meanwhile, Miller narrowly missed a Q2 spot and qualified P14, just 0.147 seconds away from advancing. He was 0.268 seconds faster than Oliveira and 0.329 faster than Rins—a recurring trend that’s become hard to ignore.

Miller Keeps Beating Rins—Track After Track

Since joining Yamaha, Jack Miller has been a revelation. While the Australian is still adapting to the M1 after years on Ducati and KTM machinery, he’s been consistently faster than Rins in qualifying across the calendar. Here’s a brutal breakdown:

• Thailand: Miller P4, Rins P19

• America: Miller P9, Rins P14

• Spain: Miller P14, Rins P23

• France: Miller P8, Rins P14

• Great Britain: Miller P6, Rins P12

• Aragon: Miller P14, Rins P15

• Netherlands: Miller P14, Rins P19

Even more impressively, Miller has beaten Quartararo—Yamaha’s benchmark—in qualifying at Thailand and America. That puts him in elite territory when measuring progress and performance on the M1.

The Numbers Don’t Favor Rins

Despite being locked in for 2026, Rins is delivering factory-level underperformance. Quartararo leads Yamaha’s points tally with 61 points, followed by Rins with 32, Miller with 31, and Oliveira with 6. While Oliveira’s tally is undeniably low, Rins’ status as a factory rider makes his mediocre form even more concerning.

It’s worth noting that Yamaha test rider Augusto Fernandez—who doesn’t even race full-time—has matched Oliveira’s points total. That’s embarrassing for the Portuguese star, but Rins isn’t far enough ahead to justify his place, especially when Miller is pushing the bike’s development forward and putting in the lap times.

Oliveira’s Contract Situation Gives Yamaha Wiggle Room—But They Should Look at Rins Instead

Yamaha originally structured Oliveira’s deal with a performance-based escape clause, preparing for contingencies. The assumption was that Oliveira or Miller would make way for Razgatlioglu, but Rins’ ongoing failures raise an uncomfortable truth for Yamaha: they might be backing the wrong rider.

What’s worse is that Rins hasn’t won a qualifying battle with Quartararo once in nine attempts. In a team where development and race strategy hinge on both riders being competitive, that imbalance creates unnecessary pressure on the Frenchman.

Monster vs Red Bull: The Sponsorship Dilemma That Makes It Tricky

Due to Monster Energy’s exclusive partnership with the factory Yamaha squad, Razgatlioglu is unable to join Quartararo at the works team. The Red Bull athlete will thus enter MotoGP with Pramac Yamaha. This arrangement means that either Oliveira or Miller must go, unless Yamaha find a way to renegotiate or restructure their line-up altogether.

That may seem improbable—but based on current results, dropping Rins might be the smarter move. Yes, he’s under contract for 2026, but Yamaha could justify an early split. Poor qualifying, little race influence, and being outpaced by a newcomer like Miller—all signs that Rins may no longer be a good fit.

Yamaha Must Be Ruthless for the Future

As MotoGP competition gets tighter and the grid more talented, manufacturers can’t afford to carry underperforming riders—even if they’re signed long-term. Rins has shown he can be fast in the past, but that version of him isn’t turning up in 2025.

In contrast, Miller is gelling with the Yamaha project, and Oliveira—despite low points—has had some technical issues and still offers long-term value if he can turn things around. If Yamaha want a strong, balanced line-up to support Quartararo and Razgatlioglu’s championship ambitions, Rins may be the dead weight they must drop.

Final Verdict: Rins Out, Miller Up

Assen has made the situation brutally clear. Jack Miller deserves promotion to the factory Yamaha team for 2026. His pace, adaptability, and growing synergy with the M1 make him an asset. Miguel Oliveira may be on thin ice, but his deal already gives Yamaha a clear exit strategy.

But the real shock should be the prospect of Alex Rins losing his ride. His performances are simply not up to scratch, and he’s being outshone by every other Yamaha rider—including a part-time test rider and a rookie.

If Yamaha are serious about returning to the front of MotoGP, they need to make hard decisions now. Dropping Rins might not have been in their original plan, but in the cutthroat world of MotoGP, results are the only thing that matter. And right now, Rins isn’t delivering them.