3 year contract, chosen by Honda bosses for advancement to premier class, first 2 years in LCR. Options for 3rd year. (Danny P. Your days are numbered...)
Danny's days were always numbered. That's a big jump from Moto3 to GP. Miller is clearly a very good rider, but he also a petulant child. Putting him next to Cal could be interesting. So it looks like he'll be competing against Scott for the factory seat. Saying that, if Danny goes at the end of 2015, there will be an option for Scott if he performs on the Marc VDS
Most pundits have been predicting Miller's move to motogp for some time now. I must be missing something; sure he's a top class racer, but he doesn't stand out as exceptional to me, not like Marquez or the Escargot boys (and look how far they've got in motogp).
He's long been cited as "the great white hope", but like Fig I think he's just ok. Pedrosa has kept his seat, despite being "the nearly man", as apparently he is the best rider from a development pov out there.
I'm not sure it's the best move they could have done, ok he could very well finish high up but if he'd had a year in moto2 and done well then maybe he could have got a similar deal as Marquez and straight in to full factory.
IMO Moto2 is full of riders twice as good as Jackass. They just don't have a really good management team
I do like Miller but I think its mad to go up 2 classes in one leap. He is good but there are definitely others just as good if not better. Updated 2015 Motogp class looking good though: Repsol Honda (Factory class) Marc Marquez (Confirmed) Dani Pedrosa (Confirmed) Movistar Yamaha (Factory class) Valentino Rossi (Confirmed) Jorge Lorenzo (Confirmed) Ducati Team (Factory class) Andrea Dovizioso (Confirmed) Andrea Iannone (Confirmed) Suzuki (Factory class) (Aleix Espargaro?) (Unconfirmed) Maverick Vinales (Unconfirmed) Aprilia Gresini (Factory class) Alvaro Bautista (Confirmed) Marco Melandri? Marc VDS Honda (Factory class) Scott Redding (Confirmed) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (Factory class) Pol Espargaro (Confirmed) Bradley Smith (Confirmed) Pramac Ducati (Factory class) ? (Replacement needed for Andrea Iannone, Loris Baz and Danilo Petrucci in contention) Yonny Hernandez (Not officially confirmed, but Hernandez expected to keep his ride for 2015) LCR Honda (Factory/Open class) Cal Crutchlow (Confirmed on Factory class bike) Jack Miller (Confirmed on Open class bike) NGM Forward Racing (Open class) Stefan Bradl (Confirmed) ? (Currently Aleix Espargaro - assuming he leaves for Suzuki a long list of riders will be interested in what is currently the top Open bike) Drive M7 Aspar (Open class) Nicky Hayden (Confirmed) ? (Currently Hiroshi Aoyama. Eugene Laverty now favourite for the ride, although Loris Baz reached a preliminary agreement) Avintia Racing (Open class) Hector Barbera? (Team will switch to Open class Ducati machinery in 2015) ? (Currently Mike di Meglio) Cardion AB Motoracing (Open class) Karel Abraham (Will be a seat at his father's team) Iodaracing (Open class) ? (Currently Danilo Petrucci, team plans unclear) Paul Bird Motorsport (Open class) NA (Currently Michael Laverty, but PBM team will move back to BSB next year.) NA (Currently Broc Parkes)
If the Suzuki's got any potential at all, having Espargaro and Vinales in the seats sounds like a case of lighting the blue touchpaper and standing well back...
The smart money would have been on Marquez the younger - nothing like a bit of sibling rivalry to help one's performance along...
or just completely quash the whole event. Look at the Klitschkos in boxing. The two best fighters in the world who would rather meet over a coffee. :Finger:
The only real chance of a 'full factory' ride is if/when Vale hangs his lid up. Even when that happens he still wont get the factory seat. The best he can hope for is lots of really trick bits on the Tech 3
Smith seemed to suffer a dent to his confidence when Pol Espargaro turned up, but when he stays upright he's a pretty impressive rider. But brit riders always seem to lack that last % of killer instinct. Having Redding on a quicker bike next season will have a positive effect on Smith, I reckon. A little bit of rivalry always brings out the best in a sportsman.
The three top Brits will all be on a similar spec bikes....still wont get any actual press coverage unless the worst happens :-(
The thought of Crutchlow, Smith and Redding all in the mix together is one to relish. My money's on Crutchlow...
Redding will beat cal and Bradley . But isn't it great that we have 3 top flight riders on almost factory bikes in the highest level of bike racing.
