Jack Miller scotches LCR Honda 2023 MotoGP chatter; Ducati deal incoming?
Jack Miller dismisses paddock speculation that he is in talks with LCR Honda for a return to the satellite squad with which he made his MotoGP debut in 2023
Jack Miller has dismissed rumours he is in talks for a 2023 MotoGP World Championship ride with LCR Honda over a return to the team with which he made his premier class debut.
The Australian has been front and centre of 2023 MotoGP rider line-up gossip as he faces an uphill task fending off Ducati stablemates Jorge Martin and Enea Bastianini in a three-way tussle for the factory seat alongside Pecco Bagnaia.
With Miller himself admitting he is prepared to consider alternative options for 2023 if he is indeed usurped, paddock speculation arose during the Portuguese MotoGP weekend in Portimao that he had been discussing terms with Honda satellite partners, LCR.
Miller is no stranger to the Lucio Cecchinello-helmed outfit having made his MotoGP debut in 2015 aboard a CRT-spec machine prepared by LCR.
However, three-time MotoGP race winner Miller quashed any hint of truth to the rumours, maintaining he is fully focused on retaining his place in the Ducati fold.
"There’s been no talks with LCR whatsoever,” he said after the race, according to MotoGP.com. “We haven’t discussed a move with anyone. We’re just starting to now with silly season in full swing. We’ll take our time and weigh up our options.
“But, for sure, I know the Ducati, I’ve been here a while and I know how things work here. I have a good home here in Ducati. It’ll take a bit to persuade me to go elsewhere."
While Miller is considered the outsider of the trio being considered for his factory Ducati seat in 2023, he intimated he would be willing to switch back to the Pramac Racing squad if it meant staying with the manufacturer.
It’s a solution Ducati MotoGP team manager Davide Tardozzi suggests is being seriously considered in what is proving to be a difficult decision for the team to make.
"We don’t want to lose Jack, we will see what happens over the next few weeks. I’m happy that other teams are interested in Jack because it means we have a good rider. But, for us at Ducati, everything is on the way to keeping him."
