An unexpected change in the 2021 MotoGP Grid was announced on June 3rd. It was revealed that Jack Miller had signed a contract with Ducati Racing on May 27th. He’ll appear with the Ducati factory team in the upcoming season, with contract details implicating an extension clause of twelve months until 2022. Depending on the skillsets displayed by Jack Miller over his first nineteen races could allow him permanent placement with Ducati Racing.
Ducati is an Italian motorcycle racing outfit, who have relied on Australian talent for a prolonged period. MotoGP Analysts had hoped they’d return to their racing roots & inquire an athlete with Italian heritage. The confirmation of Jack Miller being acquired at 25-years-old shows that Ducati is continuing to support Australian racers. Previous Australian’s that competed & gained MotoGP championships for Ducati included Casey Stoner and Troy Bayliss. They respectively won their titles in 2003 & 2007.
MotoGP History
It’s not surprising that talent scouts with Ducati Racing would select Jack Miller. He displayed notable progression throughout the 2019 MotoGP Season, with there still being some that believe Miller isn’t the correct choice of Ducati. Jack is considered an unpredictable driver & didn’t inquire about the Moto3 or Moto2 Championships. He’d inevitably lose the 2014 Moto3 Champion to Alex Marquez by two points.
Under this minimal difference, Jack Miller convinced Honda Factory Team Racing to contract him for three years. He immediately jumped from Moto3 to MotoGP, skipping an entire series. It’d take four seasons for Miller to show notable signs of improvement. This assessment indicates that his progression could de-evolve under new pressure, negatively benefiting Ducati Racing in the process.
The Reputation
Another element that could impose challenges for Ducati Racing is the reputation that Jack Miller holds on the MotoGP Paddock. He’s known for keeping a negative demeanour on the track & paddock, often enacting bullish behaviour when racing with Pramac Ducati Racing. Consistency with Ducati’s secondary team in 2019 is ultimately the reason why Miller levelled up to the factory outfit. We’ll provide our readers updates with how Jack performs over the 2021-22 MotoGP Seasons.