In 2024, Jack Miller will have one last chances to secure a place in MotoGP, especially at a time when the competition is fierce and in the KTM universe the places are highly contested. The rider admits to being in his best shape ever at the start of a season, but will that be enough and will it show in results?
Tests shouldn’t be interpreted by the position a rider ends up in, as the work programme is extensive and riders don’t always try to attack the times, giving preference to working on other areas, either the bike or themselves, and that’s exactly what happened in most of the australian’s work.
On the first day at Sepang he was 18th, on the second he was 15th and on the third he was 14th. After the tests, the #43 said that there was a lot to test and that the slightest change to the bike made a difference – positive or negative – but in the end the feedback was largely positive, although he wanted to work more on some areas in the future.
Testing followed at Losail, with Miller taking 14th on day 1 and 11th on day 2. At the end of the day he was happy and said that everything was pretty much settled, and he was ready for the start of the season.
The year 2024 will be decisive for the rider, as even Francesco Guidotti pointed out when he said that Miller will have to ‘push himself like perhaps never before’, implying that he already knows in advance that his future could (really) be in jeopardy, especially at a time when the vast majority of riders are ending their contracts and are free to negotiate with other teams.
KTM’s Team Manager also said that Miller is too young to stop racing at the highest level, but he didn’t shy away from saying that the competition is at a very high level and, truth be told, within the austrian manufacturer’s universe there are already those who, depending on his performance, are putting Pedro Acosta in the factory team next year, without forgetting that riders with proven track records and world titles are free, such as Marc Márquez, Fabio Quartararo or Jorge Martín, with the latter saying that he definitely wants to be in a factory team next year. On the other hand, KTM’s “flirt” with Márquez isn’t new and the financial potential to support such a rider wouldn’t necessarily be a problem.
Guidotti said that everything is ‘in Miller’s hands’ and the rider, who has already said that he is in the best shape ever at the start of the season, after some changes made this winter to his physical preparation, confirmed that he wants to be well.
It’s therefore important to ask: what can Jack Miller do in 2024? This will be his tenth year in MotoGP, and with four wins so far ‘Thriller Miller’ doesn’t want to stop there, but the pressure is already on and with the rider having to literally race for his future, this could be an all-or-nothing year.
In 2023 Miller took three podiums and is more adapted than ever to the KTM RC16, and it’s certain that he’ll be one of the riders with maximum motivation to be at the top of his game.
Predictions? We won’t risk making any, as futurology isn’t in our line of work, but what do you think the year 2024 could be for Miller?