Miller won’t ride for the factory KTM squad next year, with the Austrian marque revealing on the eve of the Italian Grand Prix that rookie sensation Pedro Acosta will be promoted in his place as part of a multi-year contract.
While Acosta was always expected to step up to the factory seat thanks to his impressive early form with Tech3 GasGas, the announcement also followed a tough run of results in 2024 for KTM sophomore Miller.
In the opening seven rounds of the season, the Australian has scored just one finish inside the top 10, a fifth place in Portugal where Ducati duo Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia collided while running ahead of him.
He sits a distant 16th in the championship with just 27 points, compared to 101 for fourth-placed Acosta and 85 for team-mate Brad Binder, who holds seventh place in the standings.
Given the situation, the 29-year-old says his priority right now is to deliver results on the RC16 rather than securing his future beyond the end of the season.
Asked if Acosta’s signing makes his position any clearer, Miller replied: “Not really. My job’s a secret at the moment. I’m looking for a new job.
“Obviously, it’s a clear decision from [KTM]. [Acosta] is doing a fantastic job, as he has done all year. He is an amazing rookie. And as we all know, a generational talent, so for them to do that is the logical step.
“Obviously, I’m not keen on signing any pieces of paper with the results I’ve had so far. Don’t get me wrong, there is not a massive list of people lining up to give me one.
“But we will have a spot, I’m not super stressed.
“Like I said, I’m not keen on signing a ride at this moment. I’d rather have some better results to try and help myself a little bit more.”
Jack Miller, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Last Tuesday, Motorsport.com broke the news that Ducati’s Enea Bastianini is set to join KTM’s roster in 2025, as the rider market continues to shake up following the revelation that Marc Marquez, and not Jorge Martin, will land the second factory seat at the Italian marque.
KTM is also now looking at introducing four identical factory bikes on the grid next year, and it remains unclear what role Herve Poncharal’s GasGas-branded Tech3 squad will have in the Austrian marque’s new MotoGP structure.
This could also have implications on the future of Miller, who joined KTM in 2023 and has played an important behind-the-scenes role in developing the RC16.
The four-time grand prix winner made it clear that he wouldn’t mind moving to what is currently the Tech3-run factory supported GasGas squad in 2025, as that would allow him to extend his time with KTM.
Speaking before Acosta was announced as his replacement, Miller said: “Of course, I have said that all along [that I’ll be happy to join Tech3].
“I firmly believe that Tech3 isn’t a satellite team any more. It’s basically a factory bike that is red and we know that.
“These projects take time and that’s what we are doing at the moment and that’s why you have these highs and lows as you are building something good and that’s the way it goes.
“My focus has never gone away from that. My understanding of the bike and trying to improve the bike has never gone away from that.
“And my work outside of the track has never faded. In fact, I’m working harder now than I ever f*****g have.
“I love the guys at KTM. I think they have done a fantastic job in such a short amount of time. I didn’t see it coming around full circle just to piss off at the first sight for sure.
“We’ve got four fantastic riders and if they need to reshuffle then they reshuffle and keep going.”
Additional reporting by Lorenza D’adderio and Matteo Nugnes
