This Sunday, November 7, 2021, Jack Miller answered questions from journalists from the Algarve International Autodrome in Portimão, at the end of the third day of the Grande Prémio Brembo do Algarve.
We went to listen (via teleconferencing software) to the words of the Australian driver, who finished the race in third position.
As usual, we report here the words of Jack Miller without the slightest formatting.
Jack, you fought a tough battle in the race, especially with Álex Márquez. Can you tell us about this duel you led against him?
« First of all, I have to say that Pecco Bagnaia did a very strong race, with really great pace, and as soon as he passed me at the exit of the first turn I felt that he was not had only one desire: Attack like hell! I tried to follow his pace, but even so I couldn't prevent him from escaping lap after lap. »
« Afterwards I tried to manage the tires in the middle of the race, and I started to attack again about eight laps from the end, and that's when I managed to get rid of Álex for good. , although later I had a big scare in turn 7. I was prepared to have to fight until the end with Álex, but then the red flag was waved. »
« In the end I'm very happy for the team, and especially regarding the constructors' title that we managed to win. Now we will try to win the one of the teams in Valencia. It's really nice to end the season performing so well. »
“It’s nice to end the season performing so well”
You recently said that the Ducati was no longer the same as in the past, and that now it is a very complete machine that can play for victory on all types of track. Could the fact of having such a complete motorcycle have played a role in obtaining the manufacturers' title?
« Yes, that's what I think. Ducati had already managed to win the manufacturers' title last year, when Andrea Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci were at the helm of the official bikes. In the end it's really a team effort because these two made their contribution, in the same way of course as Pecco Bagnaia, Johann Zarco or me. »
« The good thing with Ducati is that we always have a rider, whether the race goes well or not, who manages to at least finish in the top 4. We can therefore collect information on almost all the machines, and that It's really fantastic I think in our development process, it helps us. »
« Year after year we become stronger and stronger. Last year we won the constructors' title and it's the case again this year, and in Valencia we will undoubtedly do the same in the teams' championship. After a title last year, this will give us two crowns this season. We can therefore hope to continue on this path next year and aim for the hat-trick with the coronation among the drivers! »
Did you have enough rubber left at the end of the race for your battle against Álex Márquez, assuming the race had come to an end?
« I don't think I would have had any problems, and I was looking for this duel anyway. When this type of battle occurs in the very last laps, you always feel like you've won the race regardless of your position if you can get ahead of your opponent. »
Ducati won the manufacturers' title today. What role has the motorcycle played today, as well as in recent years with all the improvements that have been made to it?
« I think we're really lucky because we have a great test driver in Michele Pirro, who has been here for quite a while now. He does an incredible amount of work behind the scenes, because everything we receive and try has already been filtered by him. »
« Furthermore we have many young talents with Jorge Martín, Enea Bastianini, Luca Marini… For my part I have been riding a Ducati since 2017 [sic, Miller started riding a Ducati in 2018 at Pramac, he was still riding a Honda RC213V from the Marc VDS team in 2017] and I've really been able to see the bike evolve over the years, and I can tell you that between my debut with Ducati and today it's day and night. »
« We must also highlight Ducati's investment in the project. The brand is a pioneer in everything: it was the first to use fins, the first to implement the ride-height device, the first to use the launch device... Ducati constantly pushes the limits, and the others only follow , so it's fantastic to be part of a structure like that, and to bring them a new constructors' title, and as I said why not also a team title in Valencia. »
“Ducati is a pioneer in everything: fins, ride-height device, launch device…”
During the Moto3 race we witnessed a very dangerous maneuver by a rider, who will make his debut next season in MotoGP [Darryn Binder in fact clipped the rear of Dennis Foggia's bike, the latter who was defending his title chances against Pedro Acosta in the quarter liter category]. Do you think this type of accident could call into question safety next year in the category?
« What do you want me to tell you? The same thing happened to me that happened to Darryn in the past... »
Joan Mir cuts him off: “Frankly it wasn’t the same thing… »
Miller: « Everyone can make mistakes. You are referring to our numerous contacts on the track this season. Contact is one thing, and I understand the difference, and I completely agree that there needs to be a margin, and what happened today n It's really not good, whether for Dennis Foggia who lost the title, but also for Pedro Acosta, because it was probably not the best way to win the championship for him, especially after the fantastic season he carried out. »
« He had a lot of margin compared to his opponents at the end of the race, and I think that took away some of the flavor of a victory won after a bitter fight. It's true that what happened today is very strange, but this kind of thing can happen. I'm not worried or have a very anxious temperament, and even though MotoGP is another world compared to other categories, I don't think we should worry about that [of Darryn Binder's arrival in the premier category l 'next year], because we all make mistakes. »
“I don’t think we should be worried about Darryn Binder coming to MotoGP next year”
« It's true that Darryn is a bit of a wild pilot. I can tell you that the pressure of going straight from Moto3 to MotoGP is enormous, and that this is just a taste of the challenge that awaits [Miller is the only other rider to have also made the leap between the quarter liter and the premier category, in 2015, editor's note]. »
« But we must not lose sight of the fact that we saw Valentino Rossi make the same mistake after all his titles, so no one is safe from this kind of blunder, we must put that in our heads. Everyone is falling over Darryn because the accident involved one of the title contenders, but in reality this happens more or less during every race weekend. »
“Between my first Ducati and today’s, it’s day and night”
« If we take Deniz Öncü's two suspension races, I also do not agree with this sanction, because I think that he was not the only one at fault in the Austin accident. There are others who should have been sent home as well, but that's another story. If you look at everything that happens on social networks between Jaume Masiá and Andrea Migno for example, then you will become aware of what is happening in these categories. »
« PTo be honest, I don't think an age limit is going to make any difference, because most of the guys who make these mistakes are well over 18. In the end it's not a matter of age but of temperament as well as the respect you have for the other drivers who are on the track with you. If we look back at what happened between Joan Mir and me, we have a good relationship, and in the end he never took me out of the track. We did have some tense exchanges following a few exchanges of arms, but in the end we were always able to sit next to each other and remain cordial and good friends. »
