IN
THE
WIND
P34
Miller In The Box Seat For Ducati Ride
J
ack Miller is odds-on favorite
to land the second seat at the
factory Ducati team for the 2021
MotoGP season.
Miller's 2019 form saw the Aus-
sie take five podium places on
the Pramac Ducati, finishing the
season 11 points off the factory
Ducati of Danilo Petrucci. De-
spite securing a memorable win
at the Italian MotoGP, Petrucci's
form tailed off dramatically in the
second half of the year and he's
apparently been given his march-
ing orders for 2021.
"The most logical and normal
situation is that Jack will go to
the factory team," Pramac Ducati
manager Francesco Guidotti told
the official MotoGP website. "After
a difficult first year [in 2018], I think
last year he showed a very good
potential, he made a big step. He
is ready for the factory team.
"Regarding Jack, they're doing
the negotiations, and as far as I
know, it's not done yet. But, of
course, from both parties there
is the intention to do the deal. I
think it's close."
Just who Miller will partner with
is still up for debate. At this stage,
it looks likely he'll partner Andrea
Dovizioso, however, negotiations
between Dovizioso and Ducati
have stalled amid financial barri-
ers demanded by Dovi's camp.
Should Dovizioso and Ducati
fail to come to an agreement, Pe-
trucci could keep his ride in the
factory MotoGP team. Petrucci
has also been linked to a switch
to WorldSBK on the factory
Ducati team in place of Chaz Da-
vies, where he would partner with
his old Pramac Ducati teammate
Scott Redding. Ducati is under-
stood to be desperate to win
back the WorldSBK title after the
disaster of 2019 with Alvaro Bau-
tista, and is believed to be very
keen to do so with an Italian rider.
No Italian rider has ever won the
WorldSBK title on a Ducati. CN
Jack Miller is a marked man,
but in a good way as the
Australian looks set for a
factory Ducati seat in 2021.
