Our two friends on the site crash.net, Peter McLaren and Neil Morrison, interviewed Jack Miller about the 2017 engine he used in HRC colors during MotoGP testing at Jerez on Wednesday.
As a reminder, the Australian pilot had tried the specific framework of Cal Crutchlow during the post-GP tests in Valencia but there was no new engine, and his first reactions are therefore interesting.
Jack Miller: “We only got the new engine here. I just gave them my feedback. I'm pretty happy with how it worked. The bike is smooth, comfortable… It was a very decent day. Those were my fastest times here, so I can be happy with that. But of course we have to find a little more. The Ducatis always seem to work really well here in the winter, while we can't really get the most out of the colder track.
We feel pretty good on the bike. We have to work a little bit more on the gearbox and stuff like that, just because of the different way the engine delivers its power. »
Do you already prefer the new engine to the old one?
Jack Miller: “With my driving style, yes. It's smooth, it's easy, it's very quiet to ride. I've never had anything like this before in MotoGP. It's definitely a lot smoother. I feel it's much easier and more user-friendly. There are just a few teething issues but it's nothing major. These are very small things considering how little the engine has been tested. »
Jack Miller then specifies that the engine, still very young, is not in its maximum power configuration, but that did not prevent it from achieving 1'40.3 during each of its two days of testing, while its best time during the Grand Prix was 1'40.968.
