Claim about Jack Miller’s ‘passport ride’ criticised as “nonsense”

Jack Miller deserves his MotoGP stay and claims about a ‘passport ride’ are “nonsense”, says the Dorna CEO.

Miller was on the brink of an exit from MotoGP after losing his factory KTM ride to Pedro Acosta in 2025, and being overlooked for the Tech3 squad.

But Pramac Yamaha swooped to rescue his hopes.

It has caused a debate within MotoGP about the various nationalities that are represented on the grid.

Spanish and Italian riders dominate - and some argue that it is harder for them to progress into MotoGP, because the organisers want a spread of nationalities.

“It's easy to answer,” Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta told AS.

“In the Olympics, if you are an American and you are fourth in your country, you don't go. It's over. That's it.

“It cannot be, and I am Spanish, that some gentlemen who have had more facilities than the others, because in Spain it works well, take over the grid.

“It cannot be that we occupy the grid with Spaniards. That is a clear decision of the championship.

“This has to be a world championship and if you are from a place where there are many, you have to be better, and that's it, because you have had more facilities.”

Previous eras of MotoGP featured American and Australian champions but times have changed.

But Ezpeleta warned Spanish and Italian riders: “In the future there will be less. It doesn't add anything.

“Of those that exist now, and I am not going to say who, there are some that should not be there. 
“No. That doesn't improve the championship.

“It cannot be wanting a global championship and continuing to include Spaniards and Italians.

“And that happens to anyone. How many Spaniards are there here who shouldn't be, if we think about it?

“What we have to do is give opportunities to people who haven't had them.

“And in the case of Miller it is very clear, because he is a rider who has won grands prix in MotoGP.

“Others who criticise him have won less than him. Let's not come with nonsense.

“I don't want to base myself on Miller but on a philosophy. And it would be worse if we gave one quota per country.

“We want to prioritise riders of all nationalities racing. Just as I would have liked, when we weren't driving it, that there were not only American riders in front.

“That's what I would have liked in the 80s.

“Now it is the case that they are Spanish, but it has to be done that way.”

Ezpeleta also insisted that less races will be staged in Spain.

“We will not be able to continue having four grands prix in Spain,” he said.

“They will be there until 2026, for sure, and then we'll see. It just can't be.”