Miller and Oliveira Target Points as MotoGP Lands in Sepang for the Malaysian GP
With the return to Europe approaching, the MotoGP World Championship leaves Australia behind and prepares for this weekend‘s round at the Sepang International Circuit, home of the Malaysian GP — the 20th race of the season. A weekend where Jack Miller, Miguel Oliveira, and the entire Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP team aim to fight for important points right from the opening sessions.

After an Australian GP that mixed joy and disappointment — from Jack Miller‘s impressive third place in qualifying and fourth in Saturday‘s Sprint Race, to the unfortunate crash early in Sunday‘s race while battling among the front runners — the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP team leaves Phillip Island and heads to Sepang for the 20th round of the championship.

Malaysia marks the final stop in the four-race overseas stretch before the season returns to Europe for the closing rounds. For both Jack Miller and Miguel Oliveira, it‘s a return to the track where, at the end of January, they first began their journey with the Yamaha YZR-M1. Since then, the bike has made significant progress, and this weekend will be a good opportunity to see what the Australian and Portuguese riders can achieve.

The Sepang International Circuit is one of the tracks where Miguel has achieved some of his greatest successes, with two victories — in 2015 in Moto3 and in 2017 in Moto2 — a second place the following year, and a third place in 2013 in Moto3, along with two front-row starts. Jack‘s best result here is a second place in 2014 in Moto3, starting from pole position. Last year, he was involved in a heavy crash at the start of the race, fortunately escaping without injury.

After 19 rounds, Miller sits 18th in the championship with 66 points, while Oliveira is 20th with 36. The Prima Pramac Yamaha team currently holds 11th place in the team standings with 105 points.

Malaysia GP schedule:
Friday 10:45 (4:45 CET) Free Practice 1; 15:00 (9:00 CET) Practice
Saturday: 10:10 (4:10 CET) Free Practice 2; 10:50 (4:50 CET) Qualifying; 15:00 (9:00 CET) Sprint Race (10 laps – 55,43 km)
Sunday: 10:40 (3:40 CET) Warm-up; 15:00 (8:00 CET) Race (20 laps – 110,86 km)
GINO BORSOI
GINO BORSOI
Team Director, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP
“We‘re returning to Malaysia after the pre-season tests, where we went quite well. We know it won‘t be an easy track for us, as there are some sections where we might struggle a bit, but since those early tests the bike has improved a lot. If we start off on the right foot from the very first sessions, we can have a really good weekend.”

JACK MILLER
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Rider
“The home GP was an intense one — a real rollercoaster of emotions. Even though it didn‘t end the way we had all hoped, it was amazing to feel the love and support from so many fans who came from all over Australia to cheer for us. With that same energy, we‘re now focusing on the next challenge — one of the most technically complete circuits on the calendar, where we hope to showcase the strengths of the YZR-M1.”

MIGUEL OLIVEIRA
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Rider
“I am really motivated for the Malaysian GP, especially after the strong pace we showed in the second part of last race. We believe the bike setup we found in Australia can work well here too. The goal is to have a solid weekend, finding the right feeling with my Yamaha straight from the first session.”