Marco Bezzecchi
Jack Miller revealed the one thing he doesn’t ‘miss’ from his tenure at the factory Ducati MotoGP team in a podcast appearance in March, which can be applied to Francesco Bagnaia’s current struggles at the team.
Miller spent two seasons as a teammate to the Italian rider in 2021 and 2022, the latter of which proved to be Bagnaia’s maiden title-winning year in the premier class.
The 28-year-old went on to win another title in the subsequent year and put up a season-long fight against Jorge Martin in 2024, narrowly missing out on a third consecutive MotoGP title by just 10 points.
The 2025 season has been of stark contrast to the Italian rider’s previous seasons, and Ducati are at the end of their tether with Bagnaia as the issues seemingly continue to pile up for him.
READ MORE: Jorge Lorenzo predicts whether Francesco Bagnaia will leave Ducati before the end of his contract
Jack Miller doesn’t miss being ‘questioned’ about his job at Ducati every week
On an episode of the Gypsy Tales podcast, Miller was asked about his time at the Borgo Panigale-based squad prior to his change in scenery to the KTM factory team in 2023.
In a conversation about the pressure he was under, Miller recalled the early days of his tenure, saying, “It got off to a scary… No, I wouldn’t even say a scary start, but it’s a pretty red-hot seat, that Lenovo Ducati.
“Obviously, now with Marc doing what he’s doing, you read and see some of the s— online about Pecco and you’re like the dude’s just won, you know? Ok, he didn’t win last year, but he finished second.
“It was close, and he won like 11 or 12 races last year and won the last two world championships in the years before that. That’s the environment there; it’s so cutthroat.
“So, if there’s one thing I do not miss, it’s that constantly, every week, you’re being questioned on your job. “
Miller closed out the segment on the podcast by adding, “It’s a tough environment to be in.”
In the same episode featuring the Australian, Miller was adamant that Bagnaia would return to his old self, highlighting that he had seen the Italian rider do things on a motorcycle that he could only wish for.
What’s the latest on Francesco Bagnaia’s situation at Ducati?
After dominating the Japanese Grand Prix a fortnight ago, many people in the MotoGP paddock thought it was the start of Bagnaia’s return to form.
However, fast forward a week, and things are back to where they were left prior to the race weekend in Motegi.
The 28-year-old finished nearly 30 seconds behind the leader in the Indonesia Sprint race, and retired after just seven laps in the Grand Prix.
Bagnaia has become publicly vocal about his struggles at Ducati, which isn’t aiding his popularity within the team. He claims that he has nothing left to prove at the Italian constructor, further damaging his relationship at the squad.
The two-time world champion is contracted to another season with the team he has spent five years being a part of, but it remains to be seen whether he sees the full duration of it out.
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