Jack Miller feels the signing of rising star Pedro Acosta plus ongoing speculation over Marc Marquez is a compliment to KTM’s work in making the RC16 one of the most desirable bikes on the MotoGP grid.
Race winners since 2020 but never higher than fourth in the constructors’ standings, KTM has suddenly emerged as the most consistent challenger to reigning champion’s Ducati.
The Austrian factory sits second to Ducati in the constructors’ chase, while Brad Binder is best of the non-Desmosedicis with fourth in the riders’ standings. It’ll be a new KTM high if he can stay inside the top four.
New team-mate Miller’s opening nine rounds have brought a trio of third places, front rows in qualifying and eighth overall – one place higher than the same time last season at the official Ducati team.
Such performances no doubt caught the eye of Acosta, who won the Moto3 title as a rookie and is now leading the Moto2 standings.
While KTM stressed there was no rush for the 19-year-old to reach MotoGP, Acosta decided the time was right and will step up in 2024.
“I’m very, very happy for KTM because Acosta’s been in the family for a long time – and it keeps the pressure up my arse!” Miller told Crash.net.
“It’s good for KTM to be able to keep him on the bike and I think that’s also down to the work we’ve done this year, in terms of making it one of the more desirable bikes on the grid. And he wants to be on it.
“It’d be silly to think he wouldn’t have had any other MotoGP offers. So it’s cool to have the bike at that level and to be able to sign the new up-and-coming guy.
“I don’t know where they are putting him yet, but it’s not my problem!
“[Acosta] just needs to get in here, get comfy and do what he knows how to do, which is ride a motorcycle extremely fast.”
Miller: ‘Fantastic’ if KTM sign a big name like Marc Marquez
The Australian takes a similar view of the Marc Marquez-KTM rumours that persistently appear in the MotoGP paddock: “That it would mean we are doing something right, making this bike desirable enough for someone who has won eight world titles, to switch.”
A Repsol Honda rider since his premier-class debut, Marquez’s extraordinary success came to a screeching halt with arm injuries in 2020. After winning an average of eight races a season, and lifting six out of seven titles, Marquez has taken only three race victories since.
With Marquez confident that his physical misery is finally behind him, the spotlight is firmly on the floundering RCV, which has rarely been a match for the dominant European brands this season.
Honda’s woes have fuelled rumours that Marquez, 30, could run out of patience. And with Red Bull already a major personal sponsor, the KTM connection frequently dominates silly-season headlines.
You hear the rumours Jack, how would you feel if Marc Marquez raced for KTM?
Miller: “I wouldn’t care! Not at all.”
Would it be good for KTM?
Miller: “Of course, it would.”
But some people say if Marc didn’t win, people would blame the KTM…
Miller: “Yeah well, that’s what some people are doing now, blaming [his] bike. Don’t get me wrong, I know Marc is a fantastic rider, but that’s what people are doing at the moment.
“Rins won on a Honda, he’s been competitive on a Honda, but people don’t look at that. And it wasn’t very long ago. Rins’ crash at Mugello was really unfortunate, but it was a crash any one of us could have had where he lost the front, got unlucky in the gravel and broke his leg.
“But if Marc were to come to KTM, it’d be fantastic for KTM to sign a big name like that. And again, it would mean that we are doing something right. Making this bike desirable enough for someone who has won eight world titles, to switch.
“But we’ll have to wait and see.”
Miller and team-mate Binder are contracted to Red Bull KTM until at least the end of the 2024 campaign, which is also when Marquez’s current Honda contract is due to expire.
With GASGAS team-mates Pol Espargaro and Augusto Fernandez also signed for next season, KTM’s potential options to accommodate Acosta include seeking permission for a fifth machine or switching one of the Tech3 riders to test and wild-card duties.
Keyword: Jack Miller: ‘Fantastic’ if KTM sign a big name like Marc Marquez - we’ve made this bike desirable