Moto GP
Jack Miller Reflects on Costly Crash at Austrian MotoGP: A Battle of Strategy and Misfortune
Jack Miller describes the reason for his accident during the Austrian MotoGP
Jack Miller: "My strategy was to remain competitive and think strategically for the long haul. Unfortunately, it didn't pan out."
Jack Miller started the Austrian MotoGP race among the top four riders and concluded it posting lap times that ranked within the top six.
However, the Australian's hopes of improving on his fifth-place finish and being the leading KTM in the Sprint were dashed after a crash midway through the race relegated him to a 19th place finish, leaving him without any points.
During the early stages of the grand prix, Miller was cautiously managing his back tire when he was overtaken by his teammate Brad Binder and VR46's Marco Bezzecchi.
Tragedy unfolded as Miller, claiming he hadn't experienced any contact with Marc Marquez in the previous lap, succumbed to a front-end loss at the chicane during lap 11 of the 28-lap race.
"Things didn't unfold as we had hoped today, but I managed to get off to a better start and we opted for a gentler strategy this time. Initially, I was cautious with the bike, which meant making some compromises, yet I felt at ease," Miller shared.
"I kept the motorcycle quite calm, particularly when exiting Turns 3 and 5. My goal was to preserve the right-hand side of the back tire. As a result, my pace varied slightly, but I was focused on remaining competitive and thinking strategically for the long run. Unfortunately, I didn't achieve my goal in the final outcome.
"I entered the chicane too quickly, causing the front end to start bouncing, and that was the issue. However, I managed to lift the bike, get back on, and continue."
"I persevered and continued to exert effort until the very end. I definitely wish we could have maintained our position, as I felt incredibly powerful in the race's final stages."
Miller dropped 20 seconds due to a fall during a lap, which, if subtracted from his final race time, could have elevated him to a seventh-place finish. However, this doesn't consider the impact of the damage he sustained over the last 17 laps.
"Despite having a bent handlebar and a few broken parts here and there, the bike performed quite impressively," Miller commented. "Remarkably, the tire held up exceptionally well, making us one of the quickest on the circuit during the final six laps.
"Therefore, I'm stuck pondering the possibilities of what might have been. Nevertheless, it felt good to be back in contention this weekend. It has greatly lifted my spirits."
Binder secured the highest position for KTM, finishing fifth, but was 18.620 seconds behind the race victor, Francesco Bagnaia of Ducati.
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