A Ducati-to-KTM switch didn’t work out for Danilo Petrucci, but the Italian is confident good friend Jack Miller can make a success of his ‘orange’ move for the 2023 MotoGP season.
Miller and Petrucci soon bonded as team-mates at Pramac Ducati in 2018, where the Australian arrived after spending three seasons with satellite Honda teams.
Petrucci began that year strongly on the latest spec bike, including second place in France, and was duly picked as Jorge Lorenzo’s successor at the factory Ducati team for 2019.
Miller remained at Pramac, but inherited Petrucci’s factory-spec bike, which he rode to five podiums and matched Petrucci’s eighth overall from the previous season.
Although Petrucci had taken an emotional debut MotoGP win for the official team at Mugello, his future position was in doubt after being without a podium throughout the second half of 2019.
Miller, who has so far matched Petrucci’s two wins at the factory Ducati team, will now once again follow Petrucci’s career path by joining KTM next season - albeit in the form of a two-year deal at the factory team, rather than Petrucci’s single year placement at Tech3.
