Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Faces Tough Sprint in Brazil
In a Sprint race delayed by over an hour due to track inspections, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP riders faced a challenging outing, struggling to match the pace of the field in demanding conditions.
GRAND PRIX OF BRAZIL
SPRINT
Goiânia (Brazil), 21st March 2026
18th
TOPRAK RAZGATLIOGLU 20'05.026
19th
JACK MILLER 20'05.789
The 15-lap Sprint race of the Brazilian Grand Prix, originally scheduled for 15:00, was delayed to 16:20 following repairs to the track surface and subsequent technical inspections, creating a tense and uncertain build-up for teams and riders.
When the race finally got underway, conditions proved particularly demanding, with significantly higher track temperatures compared to earlier sessions. Both Toprak Razgatlıoğlu and Jack Miller opted for the medium tyre, a choice that ultimately put them at a disadvantage as grip levels dropped over the course of the race.
Despite their efforts to manage the situation and remain consistent, both riders struggled to maintain the pace of the front group. The race highlighted areas where further improvements are needed, while also underlining the importance of experience and decision-making in rapidly changing conditions.
GINO BORSOI Team Director, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP
It was clearly a very difficult race for us. Toprak didn’t have a good start, and we need to understand exactly what happened there. Both riders reported a lack of grip, not only at the rear — which we expected to some extent with the medium tyre — but also at the front, and that is something we need to analyse carefully.
The tyre choice was made with a view to tomorrow’s race, but in hindsight the medium was not the ideal option for these conditions. Perhaps with the soft we could have managed the situation slightly better, but it’s unlikely it would have changed the overall picture significantly.
On the positive side, we now have valuable data to work with, and that is crucial at this stage of the project. We will focus on understanding the issues and aim to make a step forward for tomorrow’s race.
TOPRAK RAZGATLIOGLU Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP rider
Today was very difficult, and honestly quite frustrating because some of the issues we faced were not easy to understand. At the start I had a similar problem to Thailand, but even more pronounced — when I released the clutch, it felt like I was losing power, which compromised my launch and immediately put me at the back of the field.
From there I tried to recover positions, but it was very difficult. We struggled again with grip, and even on the straights I had a lot of movement from the front, which made it hard to ride with confidence. Compared to yesterday, when the feeling was much better, it seems like we took a step back, and that’s something we need to analyse carefully.
The team is checking everything, and I’m sure we will work hard to find some improvements for tomorrow. I will give my best again, as always, and we’ll try to come back stronger. If conditions change, it could help, but in any case we need to understand our issues and make a step forward.
JACK MILLER Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Rider
From the start it was a bit of a struggle. The main issue was a strong understeer, and overall the balance of the bike wasn’t quite where we needed it to be. We’ll have to go back, analyse everything and try to understand the right direction for tomorrow.
The feeling with the front tyre in particular was not ideal. I never really managed to get the confidence I was looking for, and when I tried to push, it felt like it was starting to lock, so it made things quite difficult to manage over the race distance.
Looking ahead, the forecast suggests there could be rain for the race, and honestly, that might help in the short term. But our goal remains to be competitive in all conditions, especially in the dry, so we need to focus on improving the overall balance and feeling of the bike.
Team Director, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP
The tyre choice was made with a view to tomorrow’s race, but in hindsight the medium was not the ideal option for these conditions. Perhaps with the soft we could have managed the situation slightly better, but it’s unlikely it would have changed the overall picture significantly.
On the positive side, we now have valuable data to work with, and that is crucial at this stage of the project. We will focus on understanding the issues and aim to make a step forward for tomorrow’s race.