Jack Miller will join KTM’s factory outfit for at least the 2023 and 2024 MotoGP seasons after signing a two-year deal to compete for the marque.
The Aussie has been heavily rumoured to have been looking at a switch to KTM from current employers Ducati after the Italian brand elected to replace him with either Jorge Martin or Enea Bastianini for next year.
Wanting to remain as a full factory rider rather than a satellite one as he would do with Ducati, Miller instead held dialogue and signed a deal with KTM alongside Brad Binder to replace the outgoing Miguel Oliveira.
KTM Racing Team Manager Francesco Guidotti – who has previously worked with the three-time premier class race winner when both were a part of the Pramac Ducati operation – says it is a “big pleasure” that KTM could bring Miller back into its fold nearly a decade after narrowly missing out on the 2014 Moto3 world title with the KTM Ajo squad.
“Of course we’ve known Jack since he made a boom with Aki and our Moto3 program and it’s a big pleasure to bring a rider of his capabilities into our MotoGP structure,” said Guidotti.
“He left us with a positive impression, and we’ve stayed in contact.
“Jack’s approach and attitude to racing are very similar to ours.
“I am very proud that he comes back to Red Bull KTM again and he will be a great addition to our mission.”
KTM will be the third MotoGP manufacturer that Miller has competed with, having raced with Honda across its satellite entries run by LCR and Marc VDS Racing from his debut in 2015 until joining the Ducati fold in 2018 – a sole win coming on the RC213-V at a sodden Assen in 2016.
Having notched up a total of nine rostrums with the Pramac team across three years there, he managed to snag a factory berth for the 2021 campaign as replacement to Danilo Petrucci, picking up his second and third career victories back-to-back at Jerez and Le Mans.
Miller’s announcement will likely now start a wave of confirmations regarding the 2023 MotoGP field, with Oliveira looking favourable to join Gresini Ducati after the Portuguese had a meeting with the outfit in Spain last weekend having turned down an offer to switch to KTM’s satellite organisation Tech 3 after an inconsistent last two seasons with the factory team.
