If you go back in time, it wasn’t too long ago that Jack Miller’s future was hanging by a thread. After he lost his contract with KTM, things looked bad. But now, just three races into the season, he’s Yamaha’s top rider and currently sits 11th in the championship standings.

However, this turnaround in his career almost didn’t happen—and here’s the story why.

Last year, when Miller lost his seat at KTM, it looked like the end of his MotoGP journey. The fact that there weren’t many options left didn’t help either. But Pramac Yamaha—a team that partnered with Yamaha after switching from Ducati—stepped in just in time.

Why? Because Pramac's boss, Paolo Campinoti, fought hard to convince Yamaha to give Miller another shot. The manufacturer wasn’t exactly thrilled with Miller’s past attitude.

“I got the boot from KTM and was basically left with nothing mid-season,” Miller said on the Gypsy Tales podcast. “It looked like there were no seats left. I thought I was done.”

Miller admitted he didn’t help his own case either. “I said some dumb things—just being sarcastic, being me. Yamaha didn’t love that,” he said. “I didn’t even realize it was an issue at the time. But that’s the trouble when you’re a sarcastic idiot sometimes.”

Still, despite those missteps, Miller insists he’s serious and focused when it counts. “I’m dead serious about my job. Every time I get on the bike, I give it everything.”

Luckily for Miller, Campinoti stepped in at the right moment. “Paolo really went to bat for me,” Miller said. “He pushed hard and made it happen. I owe him a lot.”

So now, with Pramac joining Yamaha, the brand has four bikes on the grid instead of just two—a big boost as they try to climb back to the top. With experienced riders like Miller and Miguel Oliveira, Yamaha hopes their knowledge can help with development.

Still, Miller’s journey hasn’t been easy. His time at KTM ended in disappointment after two seasons where he never fully adapted to the bike.

Now, with a second chance and strong results already showing, Miller is riding with something to prove—and so far, it’s going exactly to plan.