Jack Miller’s Surprising Surge: From 14th to Top 5 Triumph at Japanese MotoGP

Jack Miller: My realization hit me, 'Wow, I've made it into the top five'

"As I overtook Marc and Enea, it dawned on me, 'Wow, I've made it into the top five.'"

Following a calamitous start in Indonesia just a week prior, Jack Miller made an impressive comeback, surging from 14th place to 5th during the first lap of the Japanese MotoGP.

This time, the KTM racer, who was involved in an incident that caused three others to crash on the first lap at Mandalika, chose his trajectories flawlessly.

In the early turns, Miller kept to the inside line and initially found himself in ninth position, until Franco Morbidelli and Maverick Vinales were pushed off their lines, moving ahead.

Miller managed to surpass both Marc Marquez and Enea Bastianini with a sudden braking maneuver, securing an unexpected fifth position at the conclusion of the back straight.

"Typically, I'm good at getting a strong start and choosing my paths wisely in the opening lap – though I have to exclude last week since I ended up botching that!" Miller remarked.

"I was pleased to make a good start and overtaking almost ten guys in the initial lap felt great."

"I happened to be in the perfect position at the exact moment, to tell you the truth. I managed to maintain my position on the inside while there was some commotion happening on the outside. The key was to smoothly navigate the curb, maintain a compact formation, and steer clear of any trouble.

"Being there was enjoyable. As I overtook Marc and Enea along the back straight and headed into Turn 11, I realized, 'Wow, I've made it into the top five.'"

"However, the anchor was quickly dropped and the boys began to return past me at a rapid pace."

Miller maintained a position within the leading six until the sixth lap out of 24, at which point he was successively passed by Franco Morbidelli and Marco Bezzecchi.

By the halfway point, Fabio di Giannantonio had relegated the Australian to eighth position, during which he confessed his wish for a heavier drizzle.

"I had my fingers crossed, wishing for a bit more of a decrease because those guys in the lead had managed to gain a considerable advantage by then, yet they were still within my sight."

"However, it was just a minor sprinkle, far from the heavy rain experienced during Moto2."

Miller, along with numerous other competitors, struggled with maintaining rear traction for the rest of the race, ultimately finishing in the tenth position.

"He described the challenge of maneuvering the object away from the edges towards the end, attempting to utilize every bit of paint available as it was the only area where it appeared to have traction."

"We're facing some challenges with the speed in the middle of the curve and when exiting corners. The front end is holding up well, remaining steady throughout the race, but there's still room for improvement."

"This challenging circuit played to our strengths. We'll return next week to take our chances at the Island and find out how we fare there."

Brad Binder, a member of the team, secured the sixth position.

Miller's Australian Grand Prix event is scheduled from October 18th to 20th.

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