Official: Jack Miller to MotoGP with Honda

Moto3 title leader Jack Miller 🌟will skip the Moto2 class and jump straight to MotoGP next season.
The 19-year-old Australian has fiওnally been confirmed as joining Cal Crutchlow at an expa🐼nding LCR Honda team.
Miller will ride an Open class machine, with Crutchlow moving from Ducati to replace Stefan Bradl on the team's Factory class RC213V. Miller is the first𒆙 rider to move directly from the smallest grand prix class to 500cc/MotoGP since Leon Haslam in 2001.
"I'm ver𓂃y happy to make the leap up to MotoGP next year, especially because I will do so alongside HRC," said Miller. "It's a dream come true; I think that every rider would like to race at the highest level in 🎀the World Championship with a Honda. It is certainly a big jump from Moto3 to MotoGP, but I am convinced that we are ready and that, step-by-step, learning every day, we can do a great job.
"It's a fantastic opportunity and I'm very e💦xcited about starting this new stage of my career with HRC, whom I wish to thank together with CWM LCR Honda Team. I'm looking forward to working with them! In the meantime, I remain fully focused on this season's Moto3 World Championship. I will have to avoid any distraction in order to fight for the title."
The MotoGP deal completes a stunning rise for Miller, who began the year wit📖hout even a grand prix podium.
A switch to the factory Red Bullꦿ KTM Ajo team saw Miller win on his debut in Qatar and he has since claimed three further victories. However Alex Marquez and Alex Rins, riding the much improved Honda, have begun eating in𒁃to his advantage and Miller is now just nine-points clear of Marquez with five rounds to go.
The colourful Miller has become popular with fans due to his hard riding style, straight-talking and goon-riding celebrations. However he also received Penalty Pಞoints for triggerin🎀g a last lap incident at Mugello and has been involved in a contractual dispute with Marc VDS, which alleged a 'binding' contract with Miller for 2015 and 2016.
Marc VDS stated there was no opt-out clause for a MotoGP ride, but the 🙈Honda MotoGP deal does explain why Miller was not keen to join a team currently first and second in the Moto2 standings. Alex Marquez has since signed for Marc VDS in Moto2.
Honda will be hoping that Miller can eventually emulate the succes𓄧s of its previous Australian world champions Casey Stoner, Mick Doohan and Wayne Gardner. Stoner, like Miller, Stoner spent his first MotoGP season at LCR and there are rumours that former crew chief Christian Gabbarini - or even ex-Va💖lentino Rossi crew chief Jerry Burgess - could work with Miller next season.
"Without any doubt, this is a very exciting project and a completely new challenge for us," said LCR team principal Lucio Cecchinello. "We do believe that Jack will be a future strong performer in the premier class due🥃 to his undeniable talent, motivation and drive.
"Together with Honda we will do our best to let him familiarise himself, step by step, with the MotoGP class. For sure Jack will need time to learn how to ride a 1000cc machine but there is no rush, an꧙d next year will just be a learning season for him in the new Class."
Miller is believed to hav༺e a three-year deal with HRC, Cecchinello confirming: "Honda has a long term plan with him and we believe that with no preꦿssure Jack will be able to show his talent in MotoGP."
After two learning seasons, Mi෴ller (like new Marc VDS signing Scott Redding) should have the chance of a factory Repsol Honda seat in 2017, when the contracts of world champion Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa are up for renewal.

Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marq﷽uez’s injury issues.