Image: Supplied.

MotoGP hope Jack Miller labelled his Prima Pramac YZR-M1 as ‘basically unrideable’ following a string of bike issues during a dramatic Italian Grand Prix on Sunday, with the Queenslander experiencing his fourth retirement of the 2025 season at Mugello.

Starting 13th on the grid, Miller’s feature race would begin with a clutch issue, putting the 30-year-old on the back foot from the outset for the 23-lap encounter on what was a scorching 30-degree day.

Contact on lap one also left Miller with a missing wing, as a fuel issue occurred shortly thereafter and ultimately spelled the end to his race in Italy, with a disappointing DNF seeing him slip to 19th overall in the season standings after nine rounds.

“Right from the start, the clutch basically burned itself out as soon as I let it go – even though my launch was good,” Miller commented. “For the first three laps, it was slipping badly, [and] I was short-shifting everywhere, trying to bring it back to life. It recovered somewhat, but every time I hit a bump, it felt like a kick and threw me wide.

“I got passed by everyone, and after a contact with someone on the first lap, I also lost a wing, which had me wheeling all over the place. Then we had a fuel issue that made the bike even more aggressive. At that point, it was basically unrideable. I tried to keep going, but in the end, I had to retire. It was a tough one, but we‘ll reset and look ahead.”

It’s been a rollercoaster of a return to the Prima Pramac team for Miller in 2025, with P5 at round three his best result of the season. The 10th round of the season heads to Assen for the Dutch GP on June 27-29.