Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Marc VDS adds second MotoGP Honda for Jack Miller in 2016

The Marc VDS Racing Team will add a second MotoGP bike for the 2016 season to run Jack Miller alongside Moto2 graduate Tito Rabat

The move comes despite a contract dispute between Miller and Marc VDS during 2014, when the Australian pulled out of a previous agreement to race for the team in Moto2 this season in order to leap straight from Moto3 to MotoGP with LCR Honda.

LCR is set to trim back to a single bike for Miller's current team-mate Cal Crutchlow next year.

"I'm looking forward to starting my next chapter in MotoGP with them," said Miller of Marc VDS.

"It looks awesome. The package those guys have put together for their first year in the championship has been great from the start.

"Lucio Cecchinello put together a good squad for me this year. It's a shame we had to cut it short but I want to thank them for all the support they've given me."

Miller's crew will switch from LCR to Marc VDS with him, led by Casey Stoner's former engineer Cristian Gabarrini.

Marc VDS team president Marc van der Straten joked that he was "happy to welcome Jack to the Marc VDS family, even if he is 12 months late arriving!".

Team principal Michael Bartholemy said the squad had always believed in Miller's ability through the previous dispute.

"We wanted Jack in 2013 because we could see he had the talent to succeed and that hasn't changed," said Bartholemy.

"This was always going to be a difficult transition season for him, having jumped straight onto the MotoGP bike from Moto3, but he's done a solid job so far.

"Next year Jack will benefit from having the Marc VDS Racing Team behind him and, together with a competitive bike, I'm confident that this is exactly what he needs to realise his full potential."

Marc VDS joined MotoGP this season with a single Honda for Scott Redding, who will move to Pramac Ducati in 2016.

It had already announced that its Moto2 rider Rabat - last year's intermediate class champion - would move up to fill Redding's place.

Miller is currently 18th in the championship in his rookie season, third among the Open class riders, with a best race finish of 11th at Barcelona.

He was fighting for a podium in the early laps of the wet Silverstone race before colliding with Crutchlow.

"I came in in one of the most difficult years in terms of competition that there has been in the last 10 years," said Miller.

"A lot of it has been to do with me. We've had some good results and some really terrible results."

CONFIRMED 2016 MOTOGP LINE-UP SO FAR

Yamaha: Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo
Honda: Marc Marquez, Dani Pedrosa
Ducati: Andrea Iannone, Andrea Dovizioso
Suzuki: Aleix Espargaro, Maverick Vinales
Gresini Aprilia: Alvaro Bautista, Stefan Bradl
Tech 3 Yamaha: Bradley Smith, Pol Espargaro
LCR Honda: Cal Crutchlow
Marc VDS Honda: Tito Rabat, Jack Miller
Aspar (bike tba): Yonny Hernandez, tba
Pramac Ducati: Danilo Petrucci, Scott Redding
Avintia Ducati: Loris Baz, Hector Barbera
Plans still tba: Forward, Ioda, AB

Be part of the Autosport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Valentino Rossi ignoring maths in Jorge Lorenzo MotoGP title fight
Next article MotoGP riders to discuss Motegi safety after Alex de Angelis crash

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe