Future on Hold: Oliveira Reveals Doubts About Yamaha’s V4 Project

The 2025 MotoGP season has been one of uncertainty for Miguel Oliveira, who currently races with Pramac Racing’s Yamaha M1. While the Portuguese rider has shown flashes of competitiveness, his long-term future in the sport remains unresolved. Ahead of the Catalan and San Marino rounds, Oliveira opened up about the decisions he faces, the challenges of Yamaha’s V4 project, and the personal factors influencing his career trajectory.

Oliveira Yet to Decide His Future

Speaking candidly before the GP of Catalonia, Oliveira admitted that he hasn’t reached a final decision on his future. Despite securing his best result of the season so far — ninth place in Barcelona’s main race — he remains uncertain about which path to follow.

“It’s not easy. I just have to figure out which direction to go,” he explained. “Time spent with family isn’t a factor. My wife wants me away from home as much as possible. The V4? It’s a bold move. It can go more or less well.”

Yamaha’s choice to pair Jack Miller with Toprak Razgatlioglu for 2026 has effectively ruled Oliveira out of a long-term MotoGP contract with the Japanese brand. Options on the table include a potential testing role in MotoGP, or even a switch to WorldSBK, with manufacturers such as BMW showing interest. Oliveira stressed that the decision will come soon: “I think, during next week, I’ll decide on a direction and then, based on who I’ve signed with, we’ll figure out when it’ll be possible to make the announcement.”

Family Life Not a Factor

Interestingly, Oliveira was quick to dismiss family life as a consideration in his decision-making process. He admitted, half-jokingly, that his wife prefers him to spend as much time away as possible due to the lifestyle they’ve grown accustomed to.

“These are things I haven’t considered and, actually, my wife wants me out of the house as much as possible, because that’s what she’s used to, and that probably works for our relationship as well,” he laughed. “That’s it. Honestly, these aren’t aspects I consider in relation to what I should do next, also because my priority was MotoGP, which would have kept me away from home a long time.”

This humor-laced comment reflects Oliveira’s determination to focus solely on professional opportunities and his willingness to embrace whichever competitive avenue comes next.

Performance and Progress

On the track, Oliveira has demonstrated resilience despite Yamaha’s struggles. Team manager Wilco Zeelenberg noted that Oliveira appeared more relaxed and free in Barcelona, where he extracted the maximum from the bike despite its limitations. Oliveira himself credited his progress to consistency in bike setup.

“I think everything went well in Balaton, where I followed a clear direction with the set-up of the bike,” he said. “We didn’t try anything new, but we went back a few steps from where we were with the bike at the beginning of June, and in Barcelona everything seemed to work perfectly. The bike worked well, as we saw with Fabio even in qualifying, and that allowed me to express my riding style and get results.”

Thoughts on Yamaha’s V4 Project

While Oliveira is unlikely to ride Yamaha’s upcoming V4 engine, he has been keeping a close eye on its development. Yamaha is the last manufacturer still racing with an inline-four, and the transition to a V4 is viewed as essential to remain competitive in the modern MotoGP landscape.

“Certainly, my job is to be ready for whatever Yamaha asks me to do. If it’s going to be the V4, good. If not, I’ll be ready to continue with this bike, trying other things. It was very bold and very interesting move from the beginning, and I wish them success,” he commented.

However, Oliveira didn’t shy away from expressing caution: “It’s very bold. It could go very well or somewhat well but, given their experience, I think it’ll go well. I’m not talking about experience with the V4, I’m talking about technical knowledge, and I think this year has provided a very clear idea of what the current bike lacks. Having four bikes on the track with different feedback has helped Yamaha a lot. I know it’s not about experience with the V4, but I think it’s going to help them.”

This perspective highlights Oliveira’s mixed feelings — admiration for Yamaha’s bravery in finally taking the V4 step, but also recognition that the project is risky and may take time to pay off.

Relationship With Yamaha

Despite his uncertain future, Oliveira was quick to clarify that he holds no resentment toward Yamaha. Their decision not to retain him for 2026 was, in his view, part of racing’s natural cycle.

“It doesn’t change anything. I’m not angry with them. It’s a decision, and you saw how I took it last week when everything became public knowledge. Also, the timing of the results I got and my statements were all pretty much in line with what my behavior will be until the end of the contract,” he explained.

He emphasized professionalism and respect: “First of all, there’s a relationship, a binding contract between both parties and, for me, that’s very important when it comes to doing a job.”

Miller’s Optimism Ahead of Misano

While Oliveira faces uncertainty, his Pramac teammate Jack Miller remains upbeat about Yamaha’s prospects in the near term. Looking ahead to Misano, Miller expressed confidence that the M1 could deliver competitive performance at a track historically favorable to Yamaha.

“I’m looking forward to this weekend in Misano. I’m happy to be back here, and I think we can be fast this weekend,” he said. “The bike was working well with the level of grip we found in the last round in Barcelona, and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can get from the M1 this weekend, since the grip here has always been quite high in recent years, and I think the track is a bit more suited to us than others.”

Conclusion

Miguel Oliveira finds himself at a crossroads, weighing multiple options as Yamaha prepares for a new era with its V4 engine. While he acknowledges the boldness of the project, his future seems increasingly likely to lie elsewhere, possibly in WorldSBK or as a test rider. Still, he remains committed to finishing the season professionally, refusing to let contract uncertainty affect his relationship with Yamaha.

His remarks reflect both the challenges Yamaha faces in developing a competitive MotoGP machine and the personal dilemmas riders encounter when navigating uncertain futures. For now, Oliveira’s next move remains undecided — but his honesty, humor, and professionalism make it clear he will embrace whichever path comes next.