Jack Miller Secures Top Five Finish and Leads KTM Charge in Austrian MotoGP Sprint

Jack Miller achieves a significant result by securing the highest position for KTM and a top five placement in the Austrian Sprint, marking his most notable performance since Portimao.

Jack Miller climbed back into the top five, marking his first appearance since the second round in Portimao, finishing as the top KTM competitor in the Austrian MotoGP Sprint.

The Australian started Saturday impressively by topping the charts in Qualifying 1, before securing a fifth-place start in the Q2 pole position battle.

Despite an unfavorable beginning, Miller maintained his position for the majority of the Sprint, momentarily climbing to fourth when Marc Marquez suffered a crash, before eventually dropping a spot to Silverstone champion Enea Bastianini.

"Having Enea overtake me with two laps remaining stung a bit, yet I aimed to keep pace and perhaps counter with an attack of my own, which ultimately didn't happen," Miller shared, even as he successfully fended off challenges from Pramac Ducati's Franco Morbidelli and his KTM colleague Brad Binder.

"I committed numerous errors around Turn 3. My start wasn't the greatest. I spun right off the line and then had to attempt to recover, relying heavily on the clutch. It was definitely put through its paces."

"I'm not sure if we've warped a disc or what, but particularly around Turn 3 when I shifted down to 1st, it began to bounce slightly and I couldn't control the engine braking as expected.

During a sequence of three consecutive laps, I consistently missed the corner's apex, which I recognized as a significant setback, particularly in my battle with Enea as he was clocking in impressive lap times towards the finale.

"Glad to return to the top five. It's been a while since Portimao."

"I'm in high spirits this weekend. This morning, we were forced to take a more circuitous route during Q1 and Q2, yet I managed to record respectable times in each session. Following that, I achieved a satisfactory outcome in the Sprint, so I'm hopeful this positions us well for the race tomorrow."

"I'm going to put in my utmost effort once more and I'm optimistic that our speed will suffice. I'm aiming for a stronger start and it's going to be an extensive race."

Binder disclosed that swapping out the front forks significantly improved his luck.

"The South African remarked, "Securing the 7th spot, I managed to catch up with the group ahead and felt more at ease. There's definitely scope for enhancement, and the key factor tomorrow will be tyre management. I believe I excel in that area, so with some luck, we can execute the race well for a favorable outcome."

Espargaro, participating as a wild card on an extensively upgraded prototype RC16, lamented a crash in Q2, believing a second-row start was achievable. Nonetheless, he was satisfied to secure a true top-ten position, with only Marc Marquez having an accident in front of him.

"I believe we had a chance for the second row, but you never know how things will turn out until you finish!"

"The Sprint was decent, but naturally, the real-world conditions differ significantly from the test environment! Assessing braking, drafting, and even the physical aspects took me a bit to readjust to."

"We achieved impressive speeds during the trial, though managing the temperature of the front tyre was also a task for me today. Regardless, we've gathered valuable data for tomorrow and beyond."

"Being in the top ten was satisfactory. Although there's always a desire for more, I am content with the outcome."

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