Official: Jack Miller joins factory Ducati team

Ducati has officially confirmed that Jack Miller will step-up to its factory MotoGP team for the 2021 season.

The much-rumoured agreement is in the form of a one-year deal, plus an option for 2022.

"First of all I want to thank warmly Paolo Campinoti, Francesco Guidotti and all the Pramac Racing Team for the great support I have received from them in the two and a half years spent together," Miller said.

"It is an honour for me to be able to continue my MotoGP career with the Borgo Panigale manufacturer and I would like to thank all the Ducati management, Claudio, Gigi, Paolo and Davide, for having trusted me and given me this incredible opportunity.

"I look forward to starting riding again this year, and I am ready to fully commit to the responsibility of being an official Ducati rider in 2021."

After being fast-tracked from Moto3 to MotoGP with Honda in 2015, and claiming a shock win in the wet at Assen 2016, Miller switched to Pramac Ducati in 2018.

The Australian then enjoyed his best MotoGP season, with five podiums and eighth overall, in last year's world championship - despite a period of uncertainty over his 2020 seat amid rumours Ducati was in talks with Jorge Lorenzo.

In the absence of any racing so far this year, Miller's strong end to last season convinced Ducati to hand him a seat at the factory team, where he will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of countrymen Casey Stoner and Troy Bayliss by winning on the Desmosedici.

"Since he arrived in the Pramac Racing Team, Jack has grown steadily, proving himself one of the fastest and most talented riders in the championship. So we are happy that he has agreed to ride the official Desmosedici GP bike of the Ducati Team next year," said Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding.

Miller, who has race-developed the innovative holeshot device and ride-height systems for Ducati in recent years, will again have access to the latest (GP20) machinery at Pramac this season before moving to the official squad.

"We are convinced that Jack has all the right skills to fight continuously for the positions that matter, in every race, starting already this season with the Desmosedici GP20 of the Pramac Racing Team, and taking a further step forward next year thanks to the support of the Ducati Team," Domenicali added.

There is no official word on which current rider, Andrea Dovizioso or Danilo Petrucci, Miller will replace.

However, Petrucci's manager has said he expects triple title runner-up Dovizioso to continue, with Petrucci's options thought to include a switch to WorldSBK with Ducati or move to Aprilia's MotoGP team, pending the outcome of Andrea Iannone's appeal to the CAS.