Nationality debate in MotoGP after Jack Miller “passport” comment

Jack Miller’s second-chance to revive his MotoGP future has coincided with a debate about nationalities in the premier class.

Sixteen current MotoGP riders are from Spain or Italy, and there is nobody from the UK or America either currently or on the horizon.

Australia’s Miller looked set to be axed from MotoGP after losing his KTM ride in 2025 but is now in talks with Pramac Yamaha to extend his stay.

Miller told Fox Sports: “Obviously Spain and Italy have extremely strong riders at this point in time, but I don’t want to be here just because of my passport; that doesn’t give me any interest at all.”

A debate about whether MotoGP should give a helping hand to riders from various countries around the world has started up.

Aleix Espargaro told Autosport: “Obviously it would be nice to have 14 different nationalities in MotoGP, but this is the elite and the best have to be in the elite, wherever they are from.

"This is not something new, it's been known for years.”

Espargaro even insisted that riders from Spain or Italy can be overlooked because there is so many of them.

“When I was in Moto2, if I had been of another nationality I would have moved up earlier, but if you're Spanish or Italian there aren't that many spaces. It's the reality,” he insisted.

“The championship is investing in Asia and other regions by creating promotional cups so that people come from there, but luckily in Spain and Italy they don't need to invest because we already have very good championships from the federations, and many riders come up.

“You can't fight against the nature that the best riders are from certain countries.

“And if you look at the bottom [categories], it's even worse, because all the riders coming up are Spanish and Italian.

“It would be ideal if the 14 fastest riders in the world were from 14 different countries, and you can help with promotion championships so that one day it will be like that, but you can't fight against the nature that, at the moment, the best riders are from where they come from.”

Any hope of an American rider joining MotoGP in 2025 were abruptly ended when Trackhouse - the only US-backed team on the grid - chose to sign Japan’s Ai Ogura instead of Joe Roberts.

Jake Dixon is the only Brit in Moto2 and will not move up to MotoGP next year either.

Since Australia’s Mick Doohan’s dominance ended in 1999, the MotoGP champion has only come from outside of Spain or Italy on five occasions.