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Marc VDS: Honda didn't do enough to keep Miller

Marc VDS MotoGP team principal Michael Bartholemy has blamed a lack of “support” from Honda for his outfit losing Jack Miller for 2018.

Valentin Khorounzhiy

Edited: Dec 17, 2017, 10:41 AM

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Jack Miller, Pramac Racing

MotoGP 2018

MotoGP 2018

Jack Miller, Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS

Jack Miller, Pramac Racing

Jack Miller, Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS

Jack Miller, Pramac Racing

Jack Miller, Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS

Miller moved up to the premier class on a factory Honda contract after coming close to winning the 2014 Moto3 title, and spent the past two years at Marc VDS, scoring an unlikely win at Assen in 2016.

But after it became clear his factory deal wouldn't be renewed, the Aussie signed with Pramac Ducati instead for 2018.

Speaking to MotoGP.com, Bartholemy – whose Marc VDS team will field rookies Franco Morbidelli and Tom Luthi next year – admitted losing Miller was a major disappointment.

“Jack was, for me, my rider for 2018,” Bartholemy admitted. “I think that a manufacturer should not lose a rider like Jack Miller.

“It was important to keep him for our project, it was clear that Marc [van der Straten, team owner] made a big commitment to keep him, but there was one or two things that Jack was actually asking to Honda for 2018, which was absolutely not in the hands of Marc VDS team.

“We tried also to help as much we can, we had many many discussions with Honda, we said it doesn't matter what we have to do, we'll make it happen, but we never get a positive answer.

“And in one moment you have to live with his decision – even if he was, let's say, 90 percent decided to leave to Ducati, there was always this 10 percent of chance, and even during all this time I was pushing to keep him in the team.

“But there was never the support from the Honda side to make it happen, and that is the reason why we lost him.”

Team weighing up 2019 options

Marc VDS is one of the three teams fielding Honda bikes in MotoGP, alongside the works Repsol team and fellow privateer outfit LCR.

Bartholemy admitted that the team would be considering its options from 2018 onwards, saying Marc VDS was left feeling like “the fifth wheel on the car” within the Honda ranks.

"In the past three years, I think that we have done a lot for Honda," he said.

"When one team [Gresini] was struggling with a sponsor, we took over the programme - actually one year too early that we had the financial resources to make it, so we had really to move mountains in 2014 to make this programme with Scott Redding.

“Then when another Honda team [LCR] had financial problems we took even over a second rider [Miller], that was even a bigger challenge for us.

“And then when you see that you are a little bit treated like the fifth wheel on the car, it's normal that, human-wise, you feel a little bit disappointed.

“But the positive point is that there are three manufacturers which like our team, they like the programme that we have.

“So let's see what will bring next year, May-June, and I am open to talk to all four of them – including Honda, for sure – and I think that the person that shows the biggest interest in our activity should be the person that we go with.”

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