Image: Supplied.

Australian Jack Miller has re-signed with Pramac Racing for the 2020 MotoGP World Championship, where he’ll pilot a factory-supported Ducati Desmosedici GP20.

Contracted directly with Ducati, Miller will be joined by current teammate Francesco Bagnaia next year, where the pair will both be on-board the current-spec Ducati machine.

The Queenslander’s signing brings an end to a whirlwind week that saw him add truth to rumours of Jorge Lorenzo seeking a return to Ducati – which ultimately delayed his contract extension – however the Spaniard is now understood to honour his deal with Repsol Honda. It’s also believed Miller was offered a contract with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing following Johann Zarco premature departure.

“I am very happy to have reached this agreement,” Miller stated. “Pramac Racing is a team that made me feel comfortable right from the start and the relationship with Ducati is very close. I will have again the official bike at my disposal and will do my best to achieve great results. I would like to thank Ducati and my team for the great work they have done so far.”

Pramac Racing team manager Francesco Guidotti said: “Our main goal is to grow young riders and give them the chance to ride the factory Ducati bike one day. Jack is proving to have great talent and his current position in the riders’ standings is confirmation of this. We are proud to have him with us also next season and we will now stay focused on our work to achieve even greater results in 2019”.

Ducati Corse sporting director Paolo Ciabatti added: “We are really glad to have reached an agreement with Pramac Racing that will allow our factory supported team to field Desmosedici GP20 bikes for both Jack and Pecco next year. It will be the first time that Ducati will have four identical bikes in MotoGP, two for the factory Ducati Team and two for Pramac Racing.

“This exceptional effort will help us to collect and share more information and improve the development process, with the aim of obtaining even better results and stimulate a fair and positive competition among our riders. We are very pleased that Jack will continue with us next year, because he has shown continuous progress since he joined us in 2018, and want to thank Pramac Racing for their continued commitment to Ducati.”

Miller, who’s scored two podiums this season, currently sits eighth in the championship rankings as the series heads to Silverstone in Great Britain next weekend.