Jack Miller has delivered a blunt assessment of Yamaha’s current MotoGP package, admitting riders felt powerless during the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas.
The Australian described the experience as being “like a lamb to slaughter” on COTA’s long back straight, where Yamaha’s lack of top speed left its riders vulnerable against faster rivals.
Miller revealed that the deficit was especially clear in the Sprint race, where he was consistently outpaced on the straights. His top speed was reportedly around 10 km/h slower than race winner Marco Bezzecchi, highlighting a critical weakness in Yamaha’s new V4 project.
Despite attempting to fight for position, Miller explained that overtaking battles became futile once riders exited corners onto the straight. He noted that even when he stayed close through the technical sections, rivals would simply pull away once full throttle was applied.
Source: Yamaha Racing
The Pramac rider eventually finished 14th in the Sprint, ending as the second-best Yamaha behind Fabio Quartararo. He was later overtaken by competitors including Brad Binder and Franco Morbidelli in the closing stages.
The main race offered little improvement. Miller crossed the line outside the points and is still searching for his first points of the 2026 season, although he showed slightly better pace towards the end of the race.
While the results were disappointing, Miller stressed that Yamaha remains a work in progress. He expressed confidence that upgrades could arrive in time for the next round in Jerez, as the team continues to develop its package and close the performance gap.
For now, however, COTA has exposed a clear issue. Until Yamaha improves its straight-line speed, its riders may continue to struggle against the front-running machines.
