KTM’s Emotional Farewell: Celebrating New Arrivals While Mourning Jack Miller and Augusto Fernandez’s Departure

KTM: Parting with Jack Miller is ‘truly unfortunate’, ‘we hope he remains in MotoGP’

KTM is thrilled to welcome Maverick Vinales and Enea Bastianini, but their excitement is mixed with sorrow as they say goodbye to Jack Miller and Augusto Fernandez.

KTM's motorsport director, Pit Beirer, expressed both joy and sorrow as he announced the signing of Maverick Vinales and Enea Bastianini. His excitement is tempered by the disappointment of parting ways with Jack Miller and Augusto Fernandez.

Miller, who has secured victories in MotoGP races with Honda (1 win) and Ducati (3 wins), began his tenure with Red Bull KTM at the beginning of the 2023 season.

Following a strong beginning to his career with the RC16, highlighted by securing two podium finishes in the fourth round at Jerez, the Australian rider has not managed to return to the podium and is presently ranked 16th in this year's standings.

Despite rookie sensation Pedro Acosta being officially announced to replace Miller on the factory KTM team alongside Brad Binder for the 2025 season, Miller appeared to have a promising opportunity to fill Acosta's position at Tech3.

In an unexpected move, KTM secured the signatures of both Enea Bastianini from Ducati and Maverick Vinales from Aprilia to shape the upcoming Tech3 roster.

"We are currently feeling quite pleased because we have successfully assembled a promising future rider package. With Enea and Maverick joining us, we now have two additional strong riders," Beirer shared with a few media representatives during a video call on Friday morning.

“However, this implies that we must part ways with two of our current riders.”

"You in the media kept up with the market just as we did. The turning point was at Mugello because everything moved very fast," Beirer explained. "The opportunity to bring these two riders on board was extremely brief."

"In conclusion, I'm extremely enthusiastic because, when you consider the reality, we have an impressive group of riders assembled for 2025. This is another step towards advancing the entire team."

However, it is quite disheartening to let go of Jack and Augusto.

"I had high expectations for Jack to perform at his best. It's disappointing to see him finish outside the points in Mugello; Jack Miller belongs among the top contenders."

“Regardless of what lies ahead, we must change this situation, as this isn't the way we want our relationship to conclude.”

"I anticipated that we could allocate more time to both Miller and Fernandez, but the market conditions were extremely strained."

“If you missed the opportunity during that week near Mugello, you wouldn't get those opportunities again."

"We made the difficult choice to proceed with a new group of riders, which deviates from our original plan. It certainly wasn’t what we had intended."

"Jack improved our bike… but he might be the final person to reap the rewards."

Despite Miller's recent lackluster performance, Beirer was swift to emphasize the significant role he has played in the development of the RC16 project.

Interestingly, the modifications in setup and electronics initiated by Miller and ex-Ducati crew chief Cristhian Pupulin have ended up being more advantageous for other KTM riders.

"It's well-known – I've mentioned it previously – that Jack, along with his crew chief and the team, made modifications to the bike that we had never attempted before," stated Beirer.

"At the start of last year, KTM expanded its capabilities. They introduced us to new possibilities that we hadn't considered for KTM in the past. As a result, it improved our performance."

"However, in the latter half of last season, Brad was able to take advantage of the modifications Jack made to the bike more than Jack could himself. Consequently, Jack encountered issues last year that we were never able to resolve."

"I stand by the fact that Jack improved our bike, and it appears he's currently the last one reaping the rewards. Therefore, our immediate goal for Assen is to help Jack regain his form."

"We need to identify what's missing for him to feel comfortable on the bike because we lost it somewhere down the line."

"Jack still has more to do"

Beirer hinted that Miller's bike configuration is "unique" compared to the others and mentioned that "he also has the option to use Pedro's configuration" if he wishes. He emphasized that it would be a 'win-win' scenario if they manage to improve his performance this season.

Beirer stated that their objective is to bring him back and offer him a stage to showcase his talent because he wants him to remain in MotoGP. He expressed his desire for him to have a promising future and secure a solid position.

“The more effectively he performs with our team, the more everyone benefits. We achieve improved outcomes, and it ideally supports his prospects for a successful career in this sport.”

"It seems to me that Jack hasn't finished yet."

Miller's potential paths for 2025 might involve going back to Honda, the team where he first started his MotoGP journey. Alternatively, he could rejoin Pramac, the satellite squad he competed with between 2018 and 2020, which is currently considering changing its partnership from Ducati to Yamaha.

Fernandez, who is just one position behind Miller in the rankings, is reportedly considering opportunities in WorldSBK or Moto2 if he cannot find another top-tier ride.

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