Miguel Oliveira has confirmed that he is in advanced discussions with Pramac Racing to join their Yamaha project for the 2025 MotoGP season.
The news comes as a major development in the ever-evolving 2025 MotoGP rider market after Trackhouse Racing confirmed Ai Ogura will be replacing Oliveira, who is now tipped to join Pramac Yamaha team alongside Jack Miller.
The Portuguese rider, who is currently competing for the Aprilia-powered American team, has made no secret of his desire to secure a competitive ride for the 2025 season.
With his contract set to expire at the end of the current campaign, the 28-year-old has been actively exploring his options, and it appears that Pramac Yamaha has emerged as the frontrunner after Oliveira confirmed is further into contract negotiations with the Italian team than Miller.
“Looking ahead to the future we are in very positive negotiations with Yamaha for the Pramac seat,” Oliveira told MotoGP.com. “Hopefully in the near future, probably in a few weeks, we will be able to discuss this option a bit more.”
“It is very attractive. The way Yamaha is looking into the future will pay its dividends soon enough. They have a strong squad of riders in the factory team with Alex Rins and Fabio Quartararo.
“I think the key piece that they are missing is a satellite team for more data and more information from the same spec bikes to be able to take the project to the desired result. Hopefully, that will happen and I will be on board.”
The potential move to Pramac Yamaha would mark a significant shift in Oliveira’s career, as he would be tasked with leading the development of the Yamaha M1 machine and guiding the team’s performance.
With his proven track record of success, including victories in the KTM and Aprilia camps, Oliveira’s experience and talent would be invaluable assets to the new project.
He has been delivering impressive performances on the Aprilia RS-GP throughout the 2024 MotoGP season. At the recent Dutch Grand Prix, he showcased his skills by qualifying on the front row and finishing the race in the top six before an unfortunate crash at Silverstone.
“I am feeling good,” Oliveira provided an update on his health after the heavy crash with his team-mate. “Fortunately, the Silverstone incident ended up with no injuries, despite having a really heavy hit on my back.
“It was what it was, it was difficult to avoid. I was slightly wide, Raul (Fernandez) crashed on the inside and I took his bike on my back. But I am glad we can move forward from that to Austria which is a track where I have very good memories.”
Despite the setbacks, the Portuguese rider’s commitment to working closely with his team on electronics and resisting major setup changes has paid dividends, and he is determined to maintain this momentum in the upcoming races.
