Italian MotoGP: Miller: Two years ago nobody wanted me!

Just five races into 💧his Ducati MotoGP🧔 career and Jack Miller is among the riders in contention to join Andrea Dovizioso at the factory team for 2019.

Miller joined Pramac after reaching the end of a three-year Honda contract, which began with the young Australian jumping straight fromܫ Moto3 to MotoGP in 2015.

Bu💃t HRC chose not to extend Miller's con🐻tract at the end of last season, offering only a year-old bike if he reached his own agreement with Marc VDS and losing crew chief Ramon Aurin to Takaaki Nakagami.

Miller: Two years ago nobody wanted me!

Just five races into his Ducati MotoGP career and Jack Miller is among the riders in contention to join Andrea Dovizioso at the factory𝔉 team for 2019.

Miller joined Pramac after reaching the end of a three-year Honda contract, which 🔯began with the young Australian jumping straight from Moto3 to MotoGP in 2015.

But HRC chose not to extend Miller's contract at the end of last season, offering only a year-old bike if he reached his own agreement wiജth Marc VDS and losing crew chief Ramon Aurin to Takaaki Nakagami.

Instead, Miller took the Ducati route, signing with the factory but being placed at the Praꦅma🅘c team on a year-old GP17.

It's a decision that has paid off hands🌳omely so far with Miller sixth in the world championship, claiming a pole position in Argentina and pair of fourth place finishes.

Like team-mate Danilo Petrucꦺci (on a GP18), Miller is now waiting to hear Ducati's plans for next season.

The factory has an option on both riders, which in Miller's case me🙈ans he will remain🌃 at Pramac or be promoted to the official team.

Either way, he'll haꦚve the latest GP19 machinery, but Miller admits it'd be a dream to get the factory deal.

"My management is in talks, trying to push as much as w✅e can but we are playing the waiting game," Miller said🌺 at Mugello on Thursday.

"As I’ve said all along either way I’ll be on a GP19, but of course I would like to be in the red colours but either way there are positives and ꧑negatives to both sides.

"There's a lot more stress in the factory team, but it would be a dre✅am come true so we are pushing for it and we have the option there but whether or not they use it is entirely up to t🐟hem.

"Aki [Ajo, manager] I feel is doing his job and pushing as best we can so we’ll wait and𝄹 see."

Miller added that🧸 even to be in consideration for the factory seat is "unreal" given that "tღwo years ago nobody wanted to touch me".

"I feel two years ago I didn’t deserve it, I’ve worked hard over the last coup𓆏le of years, really𒆙 knuckled down and matured a lot.

"My riding has shown that a lot too. I think eight top 10ಞs in a row - that is the best run of my career ever. Even since I was a junior I have never finished eight races in a row.

"Even at the last race or two with the podium being just there, I’ve had to swallow my pride. The younger, more inexperienced Jack would’ve probably gone for it and ended up in ♔the gravel trap!

"But I didn’t feel I had the tyres underneath me or the spe♉ed to close the gap, but as you’ve seen I’ve been getting closer and closer. So this [podium] will come.

"To gain experience and to finish races with those guys just in fr🅠ont of me is unreal to learn off and as a conf✤idence boost."

Commenting on the difference between the Ducati and his previous Honda machineryꦰ, the Assen 2016 winn🎃er explained:

"I feel the Ducati I am able to be calmer. I don’t♍ know if it is because of the feeling with the bike so I am riding less tense.

"Last year on the Honda I had some big problems with my biceps, since I’ve been in MotoGP the bicep would tear a b🍎it off the bone, it happened quite a lot.

"I get it at the start of the year after being off the bike for so long b♊ut with the Honda I’d still have it at the start of t🐭he season. With this bike it is quite good."

Franesco Bagnaia is already confirmed on one of the Pramac bike🍸s for 2019, with Petrucci expected to leave the manufacturer if he does not get the official team ride.

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