OFFICIAL: Jack Miller to factory Ducati team for MotoGP 2021

Ducati has officially confirmed Jack Miller will step up to the factory team for the 2021 MotoGP World Championship on a one-year deal, with an option to extend his contract into 2022.

Rumours have been rife in recent days that the Australian was on his way up from the satellite Pramac Racing after Ducati bosses dropped hints that a decision was soon to be made.

Though Ducati makes no mention of which rider he will be replacing, he is expected to take the place of Danilo Petrucci after the Italian’s manager all but confirmed he will be on his way out of the team at the end of the season.

Miller made his MotoGP debut in 2015, making the sizeable step from Moto3 to the premier class, albeit in the Open sector with LCR, before moving on to full-spec machinery with Marc VDS Honda in 2016. During that year Miller notched up a shock maiden win in the wet at Assen, though it has been over the past two seasons with Pramac Ducati that he has enjoyed more consistent success.

Scoring seven podiums en route to eighth in the overall standings, though Ducati was planning to use the opening rounds of the 2020 season to evaluate Miller and Petrucci directly for the 2021 factory seat, the lack of racing means it has reverted to their formbooks during the second-half of 2019.

He will follow in the footsteps of Troy Bayliss and Ducati’s only MotoGP champion Casey Stoner as Australian’s to race for the factory team.

“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,” he said. 

“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."