2023 Ducati MotoGP favourites yet to have futures decided

Jack Miller is set to lose his place at the factory Ducati squad for 2023 as he explores options at KTM and LCR Honda.

It is expected that one of three-time race winner Enea Bastianini or Pramac’s one-time grand prix victor Jorge Martin will replace Miller at the factory squad. But on the eve of the Catalan GP, Bastianini admits he does not know yet what team he will race for in Ducati’s stable in 2023.

“Yeah, I know for the moment I haven’t signed with Ducati, but I know how is my future,” Bastianini said. “I think I will remain with Ducati but we don’t know for the moment in which team, we stay working for this, but the most important thing is to have a good package, to be a contending rider for the championship.

“I think for the moment it’s not a problem, I have a really good bike also this year and I have to be fast in all the conditions in a factory team but also in a satellite.”

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Martin, who has crashed out of five of the first eight races in 2022, says the results make it “obvious” who should get the factory Ducati seat alongside Francesco Bagnaia. However, he believes the internal situation shows a different picture.

“I cannot say a lot,” Martin said of his future. “I can say now my target is to be competitive, because I think last year I demonstrated already everything, the beginning of the year I demonstrated a lot also.

“Now I have a different situation which is difficult to control.

“From the outside if you just look at the results, it’s easy to decide who deserves the place, but if you look inside it’s not the same, and maybe that’s why Ducati is struggling to decide.”

When asked to comment on his future plans, Miller stated: “Whispers are whispers.

“We’re just going through the motions, another weekend. I have at least 12 races left as a factory Ducati rider so my main focus is trying to take the maximum I can out of that, that’s all.”