In 2023, Jack Miller will begin a new cycle in his career as a Grand Prix rider by joining the KTM adventure. A choice which brings him into the exclusive club of MotoGP riders who can claim the name of three manufacturers in their CV. For the Australian, and before the Austrians and the Italians, there were in fact the Japanese from Honda. Paolo Ciabatti, the sports director of the Red Army explains how JackAss was able to escape from Borgo Panigale, like many others before him but among the engineers. And by going into detail, we discover that the fate of Johann Zarco hung by a thread...
Jack Miller is now a pilot KTM, and he brought with him his chief engineer Christian Pupulin, the duo thus increasing the workforce taken by the Austrian firm to Ducati. Before them, there was in fact Fabiano Sterlacchini et Francesco Guidotti, then recently Alberto Giribuola, in addition to the Australian and his technical accomplice in the box. “Thriller Miller” worked from 2021 to 2022 with a red suit. During his first year as a factory driver Ducati, he took two victories and three more podiums, finishing fourth overall.
More Jack Miller was informed at the start of the 2022 season that there would be no room for him on the Lenovo team moving forward. However, he received the offer to return to Pramac, with a factory GP23 machine. But Miller decided to accept the offer from the official team Red Bull KTM, where he will ride alongside Brad Binder on an RC16. A cycle started in 2018 therefore ends.
"We wanted to offer Jack Miller a factory Ducati at Pramac"
The sporting director of Ducati, Paolo ciabatti, recalled the circumstances of this affair: “ in Jack's case, we had other plans for him. We wanted to offer him a factory motorcycle from Pramac, but only with a one-year contract. “, declared the Italian. “ And naturally he had the opportunity to be a factory rider on a KTM for two years, probably with a slightly better salary ».
« It is therefore perfectly understandable that he refused our offer ”, we read from Ciabatta on speedweek. But this reveals another scenario: if Jack Miller had accepted this firm proposal, he would simply have put Johann zarco on the sidelines since there was never any doubt that Ducati did not intend to do without the services of Jorge Martin. Therefore, the statements made by the same Ciabatta like the assurances given by the boss of Pramac Racing Paolo Campinoti on the renewal of the contract of the double Moto2 World Champion were based on nothing, at least as long as Jack Miller hadn't made his decision... The Frenchman could have just as easily seen his MotoGP career end this year.
