A full decade of competing in the premier class of grand prix racing.
As Jack Miller’s MotoGP career hangs in the balance – most recently linked with a move to Ducati’s factory team in the Motul World Superbike Championship for 2025 – it’s a curious chance to take a look at his time as a premier class grand prix contender to date in this edition of Rewind. Let us know if you think he should stay in grand prix racing or head to WorldSBK!
Miller’s promotion to the MotoGP category came as a shock to many in the sport, considering he was in the middle of a Moto3 title fight with Red Bull KTM Ajo and would be skipping the Moto2 class altogether.
In a three-year deal with Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) that would see him under the LCR Honda operation was announced in September 2014, and after falling just two points shy of the Moto3 crown to Alex Marquez a few months later, the Queenslander’s career as a MotoGP rider kicked off.
Image: Supplied.
It was a bittersweet debut for Miller in 2015, crashing out on the final lap after competing for 18th position under the lights of Losail International Circuit in Qatar. Just two weeks later, he scored his first-ever MotoGP points with a P14 result at the Circuit of the Americas, and went on to score a total of 17 points for the year, his best result a P11 at Catalunya.
In 2016, Miller transitioned to the Marc VDS Racing Team in what was a year he’ll always be remembered for, becoming a MotoGP winner at just 21 years of age after he fended off Marc Marquez at the Dutch grand prix in rain-affected conditions. In doing so, he became the first non-factory rider to win a GP since 2006.
The remainder of the season yielded mixed results, scoring 57 points in total for 18th in the championship standings, while 2017 was in a improvement as he became a consistent points scorer, ending the year just two points shy of the top 10.
It would also mark the end of his HRC deal as he signed with Ducati-backed Pramac Racing, which would see him finish just short of the podium on two occasions and ultimately round out the 2018 season 13th overall.
Image: Supplied.
Miller’s fifth year in MotoGP during the 2019 season would be pivotal in his career, and he stepped up to the plate to end a three-year podium drought with a P3 result at the Circuit of the Americas. He returned to the podium four more times that year – including one at Phillip Island – cementing his potential as a world title contender once again.
Continuing with Pramac Racing for a third-straight year in 2020, the pandemic-impacted season saw him earn four podiums on his way to a career-best seventh in the standings, earning himself a promotion to the factory Ducati Team for 2021.
Miller quickly justified the Italian manufacturer’s decision to put him on the factory team, as he earned two victories at back-to-back rounds and a further three podiums to wind up fourth in the championship classification, which ultimately secured him a contract extension for season 2022.
In what would end up being the number 43’s final year in red, he went out with a bang to register a career-high seven podiums, including a single race victory. After five years with Ducati, he would sign a two-year deal with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.
Image: Supplied.
It was always going to be a challenging transition, moving from what is arguably the best bike on the grid to one that has only proven itself as a race winner on a handful of occasions. Miller’s debut campaign with KTM in 2023 was promising, although it was a stark contrast from the trajectory he seemed to be on with Ducati, scoring a single podium for the year and dropping to 11th in the standings.
The 29-year-old Australian has struggled to come to terms with the RC16 and the direction of its development in 2024, with a luckless run of DNFs and finding himself battling for positions outside of the top 10.
It’s ultimately cost him his seat at the Austrian manufacturer, being replaced by rising star Pedro Acosta, and after initially being favourite to take up a seat at Tech3 – essentially trading places with Acosta – Miller was blindsided when KTM announced Maverick Vinales and Enea Bastianini as their 2025 riders on the satellite squad.
With only a handful of seats available, Miller’s future in MotoGP has been up in the air as he awaits direction from Trackhouse Racing on the independent Aprilia, and the most likely move otherwise is that he will reunite with Ducati, albeit in WorldSBK as a high-profile replacement for defending champion Alvaro Bautista alongside rookie revelation Nico Bulega. We’d be intrigued at the prospect.
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