Miller ‘happy to prove doubters wrong’ after first KTM MotoGP season

The four-time grand prix winner signed a two-year deal to join KTM’s factory squad for 2023, after he was moved aside from the works Ducati team for Enea Bastianini at the end of last year.

The Australian only managed one grand prix podium and 11th in the standings, but stresses there have been “a lot of difficulties” that both he and the team ultimately managed “to overcome”.

When asked by Autosport after the Valencia Grand Prix season finale – in which he was leading before crashing out - if he felt like the KTM had brought out a better rider in him than the Ducati, Miller said: “I think so. I feel like every year I’ve been getting better and better.

“And yeah, if you look at results on paper this year’s probably the worst it’s been in quite a while.

“But we’ve had a lot of changes, we’ve had a lot of difficulties this season. But we’ve also overcome a lot of things.

“A lot of people were saying 12 months ago I would be out of a job this time last year.

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Jack Miller, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

“So, happy to prove them wrong, happy to show the KTM is actually a well sought-after bike now and it’s going to continue to grow like that.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day. We’ve had a busy as f*** first year and it’s going to be another busy winter, but the guys know what areas we need to improve, and also I know where I need to improve as a rider.”

Miller says the feeling within KTM is one of a “smaller company” despite its massive scale, while noting that the “multicultural” feel of KTM has made him feel less of an “outsider” than he did at Ducati.

“At the end of the day, it’s similar in many aspects,” he said when asked by Autosport how different it was being at KTM compared to Ducati.

“You’re a factory rider, the buck stops with you. So, in that sense all the stresses are quite similar.

“But working with all the guys in KTM, having the direct connection with the factory, it definitely has more of a – if that’s even possible – smaller company style vibe, in terms you are in touch with management more, but in the same sense it’s just as stressful.

“There’s no non-stressful one out there.”

He added: “That’s definitely part of it. I think it’s a very international team, the way that it’s structured with the people in the box.

“Not saying that the Italians were bad or anything like that, but you do always feel a little bit of an outsider.

“But being an Australian and a South African [as riders], it’s a very multicultural team and it definitely has the sense of feeling at home, or feeling part of a team.”