Jack Miller believes KTM should have been allowed a fifth MotoGP bike after Pol Espargaro lost his GasGas seat to make room for Pedro Acosta in 2024.
The Pierer Mobility Group faced a problem when it committed to giving Moto2 sensation Acosta his premier class debut next year given Red Bull KTM’s Miller and Brad Binder, along with GasGas Tech3’s Espargaro and Augusto Fernandez, were already contracted.
At one point, all except Binder seemed in danger of losing out, until GasGas announced in the past seven days that it will field the 2022 Moto2 champion and the 2023 Moto2 championship leader in 2024.
Espargaro will be consigned to testing and wildcard duties, the latter of which could offer further opportunities if a rule tweak comes to pass.
However, the MotoGP grid remains undersubscribed since the departure last year of Suzuki, and Dorna Sports is steadfast that only another fully factory team could take its place during the current participation cycle.
Miller thinks KTM should have been allowed to use the 23rd grid slot in order to accommodate all five riders.
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“I mean, there’s no doubt [Acosta] had to come to MotoGP,” declared the Australian.
“[KTM] tried everything in their power I think to get a fifth bike and they weren’t given it so, unfortunately, their hands were kind of tied there in what they had to do.”
He added, “We’re 22 bikes on the grid full-time [now]. We had a company [Suzuki] pull out last year and another two companies that are, let’s say, not expressing a massive amount of interest.
“So, when you have a company [like KTM] that’s willing to pay everything just to get an extra bike on the grid, why not?”
Dorna’s ultimate desire is that the MotoGP grid is, so far as full-time entries are concerned, six factory teams fielding two bikes each, and each of those manufacturers with a satellite team doing likewise.
It is willing to budge on the distribution of satellite teams, noting neither Aprilia nor Suzuki had one last year, and now it is Yamaha without one, while Ducati has its works squad plus Pramac Racing, VR46 Racing Team, and Gresini Racing on the grid.
However, it has held firm on there being no more than six satellite teams, apparently in the hope that either of WorldSBK competitors BMW or Kawasaki will step (back) into the grand prix arena.
It was those marques to whom Miller must have been referring as the “two [uninterested] companies.”
As for ‘Jackass’ himself, who was the subject of a wild rumour about a big-money testing role, he backed KTM’s decision.
“I didn’t have any problem,” he claimed.
“It’s not for me to worry about. It was KTM’s issue and KTM solved it.
“As I said all along, it’s a nice problem to have [more riders than bikes] and they had to find a solution; simple as that.
“They made the decision which they think is the right one.”
Practice for the Indonesian Grand Prix starts this afternoon (AEDT) at Mandalika.
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