Jack Miller has revealed that his crash at the Motegi MotoGP round effectively ruled him out of replacing Jorge Lorenzo in the works Ducati team.

Miller thought he had secured the ride but when he, then Andrea Dovizioso, crashed in Japan, Ducati changed their strategy and employed Alvaro Bautista instead.

“After feeling a bit flat on Sunday after the Japan race, I arrived at the Island for weekend still thinking about a chance to ride something different for my home race that didn’t quite happen,” said Miller.

“When we were in Japan last weekend, Jorge pulled out with injury and was ruled out for the Island as well, so it looked like I may have an opportunity to have a ride of the factory bike alongside Dovi at my home GP.

“Before the race at Motegi, that was the plan we’d decided on with Ducati. But then it all went pear-shaped on Sunday in Japan for me; I crashed out of the race, and when Dovi fell off and didn’t score any points, Ducati were more keen to me to stay on my usual bike for Australia so we could try to keep the lead in the independent teams’ championship with Alma Pramac Racing, because the manufacturers’ championship for Ducati was more or less out of reach after no points in Japan.

“They put Bautista on Jorge’s bike for the Island instead, so it probably wasn’t much of a surprise that I was a bit disappointed after Motegi when the plans changed and I’d ended up on my bum in the gravel and stuffed my own race.”