OFFICIAL | Jack Miller joins KTM for 2023, 2024 MotoGP season from Ducati

KTM has formally announced Jack Miller will complete its factory rider line-up for the 2023 MotoGP World Championship, alongside Brad Binder.

The three-time MotoGP race winner joins the Austrian manufacturer from the factory Ducati Corse outfit in a two-year deal that will see him replace Miguel Oliveira in a bold new direction for both the firm and the rider.

Miller’s confirmation comes after week of speculation in what remains a fairly fluid rider market, KTM snapping the popular Aussie up once it had become clear he wouldn’t get a stay of execution in Ducati red after just two seasons.

The agreement sees Miller reunited with Francesco Guidotti, with whom he enjoyed a close relationship during his time competing under him in the Pramac Racing Ducati team.

“Having Jack alongside Brad in our team means we have another strong asset,” said Francesco Guidotti, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager. “I know him well, I know how he likes to work and what he can bring to the box. 

“I believe his character and the way he will ride and push our KTM RC16 will help us a lot at this stage of our project. Like Brad, Jack is a pure racer: he will find the limits and the maximum of any condition and any package and still ‘go for it’ to get the result and that is quite a rare quality. 

“The next two seasons will be exciting!”

After making headlines on his debut in 2015 when he made the unusual transition directly from Moto3, Miller has steadily established himself as one of MotoGP’s elite, first on privateer Honda machinery - which yielded a shock maiden win with Marc VDS in Assen - before a three-year stint on the Pramac Ducati yielded his much desired first factory seat in 2021.

However, despite a promising start to life as a works Ducati rider with two wins within the opening five rounds, he hasn’t stepped foot on top of the podium since and has been comfortably out-performed by six-time race winning team-mate Pecco Bagnaia.

With Ducati proteges Jorge Martin and Enea Bastianini left to slug it out for his seat, KTM Director of KTM Motorsports Pit Beirer is confident the firm can extract the best from the 27-year old.

“Of course we’ve known Jack since he made a boom with Aki and our Moto3 program and it’s a big pleasure to bring a rider of his capabilities into our MotoGP structure. He left us with a positive impression, and we’ve stayed in contact. 

“Jack’s approach and attitude to racing are very similar to ours. I am very proud that he comes back to Red Bull KTM again and he will be a great addition to our mission.”

Miller’s deal comes at the expense of Miguel Oliveira, who will exit a KTM set-up he has been associated with in all three classes since 2015. 

A four-time MotoGP race winner since his debut in 2019, Oliveira’s wildly inconsistent form prompted KTM to offer the Portuguese rider a lifeline deal in the sister Tech 3 squad, which he refused.

As a result, he has been closely linked with a move to LCR Honda or Gresini Ducati.