Jack Miller a factory rider in MotoGP season 2021
Jack Miller will be the third Australian to ride in the full factory colours of Team Ducati in MotoGP when he takes his position in the top tier team for MotoGP season 2021.
Following in the footsteps of Troy Bayliss and Casey Stoner at the top echelon of Ducati’s MotoGP efforts, Miller had been courted heavily in recent years by KTM but the 25-year-old has inked a deal that promotes him to the top tier at Ducati.
Jack Miller
“First of all I want to thank warmly Paolo Campinoti, Francesco Guidotti and all the Pramac Racing Team for the great support I have received from them in the two and a half years spent together. It is an honour for me to be able to continue my MotoGP career with the Borgo Panigale manufacturer and I would like to thank all the Ducati management, Claudio, Gigi, Paolo and Davide, for having trusted me and given me this incredible opportunity. I look forward to starting riding again this year, and I am ready to fully commit to the responsibility of being an official Ducati rider in 2021.”
Jack Miller
Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding
“Since he arrived in the Pramac Racing Team, Jack has grown steadily, proving himself one of the fastest and most talented riders in the championship. So we are happy that he has agreed to ride the official Desmosedici GP bike of the Ducati Team next year. We are convinced that Jack has all the right skills to fight continuously for the positions that matter, in every race, starting already this season with the Desmosedici GP20 of the Pramac Racing Team, and taking a further step forward next year thanks to the support of the Ducati Team.”
Jack Miller with his fans at Phillip Island in 2019
As for who Miller’s team-mate will be in the factory squad, that appears to still be up in the air… Danilo Petrucci has been linked to a shift over to the World Superbike squad but the 29-year-old has indicated he has little interest in a move to WorldSBK… While it seems Andrea Dovizioso and Ducati are struggling to come to terms with his requested financial requests in order to gain his signature for 2021…
Knocking on the door to take Miller’s vacated seat at Pramac Ducati are a host of young Moto2 hotshots eager to step up into the major leagues… 2018 Moto2 World Champion Francesco Bagnaia is expected to stay at Pramac next year, but could be joined by Lorenzo Baldassarri, Enea Bastianini, Jorge Navarro or Jorge Martin. The name of Alex Marquez has also been bandied about as a potential Pramac Ducati rider should he fail to retain his seat in the official Repsol Honda Team at the end of this current season…
Source: MCNews.com.au