After a successful start at the Grand Prix of the Americas, factory KTM rider Jack Miller quickly moved up to third place, but ended up having a frustrating race due to inexplicable grip issues on the rear tire. The Australian, who had shone at the start of the race, saw his performance decline over the laps, gradually moving from the lead of the race to a defensive fight for intermediate positions.
Around halfway, Jack Miller was already in ninth position and continued to lose ground to his competitors, finishing the race in a disappointing 13th place, far behind the winner Maverick Vinales on Aprilia. “ I started strong and everything seemed to be going well, but by the seventh lap, unexpected problems arose, " shared Miller, visibly annoyed by the turn of events. “ Rear grip was virtually non-existent on the left side of the tire, which made the bike difficult to ride."
Jack Miller: “ we have never encountered this kind of problem »
Jack Miller described the rest of the race as an effort to simply maintain his position. “ I did my best to block other drivers who were trying to pass me. I didn't really have any other options, I was at my limit,” he explained.
Asked about the impact that using a medium tire could have had, Miller expressed his uncertainty: “ it's complicated to say. We have been using these tires for three years and until now, we have never encountered this kind of problem during the weekend."
Luckily for the Australian the next Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez, where the KTM RC16 performed well last year, is coming up soon. This offers him a chance to bounce back after a difficult start to the season. Currently tenth in the rankings championnat with 22 points, Miller remains optimistic about his chances of regaining ground in the next races.
MotoGP, Austin J3: classification
Championship after Austin:
Credit classification motogp.com
