Jack Miller has expressed his caution towards the emerging talent in the Ducati MotoGP ranks as he begins preparations for a 2022 MotoGP World Championship that could put his factory headquarters in jeopardy.
The Australian finally got his chance on factory machines for his seventh MotoGP season in 2021 and, after three seasons with the Pramac Racing satellite team, got promoted to the Ducati Corse outfit.
Hailed as a title contender, Miller started the season well with back-to-back wins within the first five laps, his first since a shocking rainy weather win in the Dutch MotoGP at Assen in 2016.
After that, however, he retired in the championship fight against his teammate Pecco Bagnaia, whom he overtook as team leader and ended the year with only three more podium places, even though fourth overall was his best MotoGP result to date.
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With Bagnaia emerging as the favorite for the MotoGP title in 2022, Miller, on the other hand, is cautiously entering the year after showing the performances of his two rookies Jorge Martin and Enea Bastanini in the lead roles in 2021 in order to endanger his seat from the Ducati group.
Martin took one win in Austria, four pole positions and four podiums in an injury-related season with Pramac, while Bastianini took two shock podiums on the two-year Avintia Ducati GP19.
Since Martin is, so to speak, “next in line” after his headline-grabbing campaign, Miller admits the Spaniard’s strengths and Bastianini – who will switch to Gresini but will remain on a one-year motorcycle – scares him a little.
“[The MotoGP field] It has its character and so on. All the rookies were strong, that makes me really nervous because they are getting faster and faster.
“They are just getting faster and faster. Jorge did a fantastic job and missed a couple of races this year.
“He really took the lead and did a fantastic job with his racing craft, we say.
“I wish these rookies would slow down a bit. But it also makes me more and more interested in improving and becoming a better driver.”
He adds that because of his new factory status, it was a bitter pillow when a driver like Bastianini overtook him.
“It took me a long time to learn a lot of things, but I think he’s a very complete rider. Him and Bastianini; it’s not fun to be overtaken by a year-old bike,” Miller continued.
“I know how Dovi and Petrucci must have felt when I did it to them and it sure doesn’t feel good.”