Jack Miller had another interesting day at the Phillip Island circuit. The Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS driver improved his time by more than half a second compared to yesterday, thus posting the tenth fastest time.
The second of three days of testing organized in Australia began in excellent conditions this morning. Miller and his team took the opportunity to test different geometry settings in an effort to improve the endurance of the Honda RC213V's front tire.
If these adjustments actually helped him preserve his front rubber, the Estrella team driver did not find the good feeling he had obtained recently. Miller will therefore return to previous settings for the third and final day of testing.
During the afternoon, the Australian also tested new tires for Michelin. The French manufacturer has brought three new rears to Phillip Island with the aim of improving traction and stability, as well as two fronts designed for better revving.
Miller tested the rear tires this afternoon with positive results. Tomorrow he will pass the two before launching into the attack on the clock during the afternoon.
Jack Miller : 10th – 1'29.838 (72 laps)
“We all have graining on the left side of the tire on this circuit, mainly because of the temperature. To remedy this, we changed the geometry of both bikes this morning. The effects were beneficial in terms of rubber wear, but we also lost handling, especially in the tightest turns like two and four. We will therefore return tomorrow to Wednesday's settings. I still did a time of 1'29.8 while feeling less comfortable on the bike and with a full tank of gas. So I'm quite satisfied. Tomorrow, we will switch to soft tires to try to get a time with a bike on which I felt very good yesterday. »
Ramon Aurin : Chief Engineer of Jack Miller
“We have the tires here that we used last year for the race, but the temperature was much lower in October. It's a lot warmer at the moment in Australia and we're a bit on the limit with the front. We modified the geometry of the bike to wear the rubber less over the length of a race. It's complicated because the tire is soft and you have to do twenty-seven turns and the temperature is around forty degrees. We still have a little experience today, that could help us in the future. We also tested new rear tires for Michelin and Jack really liked some of the options. This is important for us because it allows us to understand the direction taken by Michelin for 2017. The stiffness of the tire has a big impact on the work of the bike and we understand how to adjust the bike to get the best from the rubber. »
