Weather worries, but Ducati's Jack Miller 'loves' Le Mans

Ducati has never won the French MotoGP at Le Mans but its riders finished second, third and fourth last season - and the only person to beat them, reigning champion Marc Marquez, won't be present this weekend.

Pramac's Jack Miller was among the Ducati trio fighting at the front last May, just missing out on the podium despite overtaking Marquez for the lead in the early stages and finishing 2.9s from the victorious Honda rider.

Miller returns holding sixth in the world championship after a fifth-place last time in Catalunya. He now sits just nine points from the top Ducati of Andrea Dovizioso, who joined factory team-mate Danilo Petrucci on the podium at Le Mans last year.

"I love Le Mans," Miller said. "I’ve won there [in Moto3] in the past, I was really fast there last year and battled with Marc for a little of the race.

"It's a place that I really get along well with and I’m really looking forward to getting back there."

It's not all good memories however, the Australian miraculously escaping serious injury when he speared sideways into the tyre barrier at the first chicane in 2017: "It’s also a place that’s tried to kill me before…" he said.

But Miller's main concern for this year's delayed event is the likelihood of cold and/or wet weather.

"We were checking the Le Mans weather forecast [during the Barcelona weekend]. It was raining and 12 degrees. So not really keen on going there this time of year, but it is what it is," he said.

Le Mans is the last of the majorly-delayed events this season, with the following Aragon and Valencia rounds taking place not far from their usual time of the year, while the Portimao finale will be a new experience for everyone.

"Le Mans is really the only one left that sort of worries you about the weather. The rest are not too bad," Miller said.

"Valencia we’re going there a little earlier than we normally would. So I’m not too stressed about there. Not too stressed about Portimao. Not too stressed about Aragon, either."

Miller and team-mate Francesco Bagnaia will both move to the Factory Ducati team in 2021.