After five seasons with Ducati, Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) will join KTM from 2023: a path not too dissimilar to that trodden by Danilo Petrucci. The Italian, who initially competed in the satellite Pramac Racing structure, where he teamed up with the Australian in 2018, then moved to the factory team. And like the Townsville native, he spent two seasons with the factory side before moving to KTM. In his case, he was with Tech3 rather than Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.
Crash.net caught up with 'Petrux' after the announcement that Miller was moving onto pastures new to get his impressions. "Two days ago, I sent Jack a message saying that now we can do the Dakar together too!" he quipped. "Joking aside, I'm very happy for Jack. We grew up together at Pramac and then we have followed more or less [the same path]: Pramac, factory [Ducati] and now also KTM. And I hope he will be luckier than me.
"To be in the official KTM team for two years is a much, much better opportunity. I am happy for him. It's no secret that I support Jack in MotoGP™. I'd like to see him win, because he's a good guy. And I think he will do well," added the Italian, who also appreciated the presence of Fabiano Sterlacchini and Francesco Guidotti in the KTM project. "Now [at KTM] there are two people who helped me during my time at Ducati; Guidotti and Sterlacchini. I was one of the people who tried to steal them from Ducati when I was at KTM. Unfortunately, they arrived just as I was leaving."
After the Dakar experience with KTM, Petrucci and Ducati joined forces again for the MotoAmerica challenge, which he leads with the Warhorse HSBK Racing team. "After so many years in MotoGP™, I still have a great relationship with most of the people I met in the paddock, including the people at KTM and Ducati," said the Italian before sending Miller his best wishes: "I hope KTM can do a good job for Jack over the next few years."