Superb fifth in the final standings of the Sepang tests, Jack Miller justified the confidence that Gigi Dall'Igna had placed in him by integrating him into the Pramac Racing team, finishing sixth during the three days of testing in Buriram .
The Australian was the fastest of all the Ducati riders, despite only having a Desmosedici GP17 from last year to pit against the 2018 models of Andrea Dovizioso, Danilo Petrucci and Jorge Lorenzo.
With a time of 1'30.185, he was 0.404 behind Dani Pedrosa, but only 0.007 fromalex rins, and 0.007 in front Andrea Dovizioso.
Jack completed a total of 198 laps, with a satisfactory race pace in addition to a good lap time. During the last afternoon, he did a long run which gave him confidence for the future Thai Grand Prix, but also for the next tests which will take place in Qatar.
To Jack Miller, « I'm really happy with what we did during these tests. The sensations were really good. Each time I took to the track I felt more and more comfortable and, lap after lap, I felt like I was getting faster and faster.
“For us, this test was very, very positive, although we still have to work on a lot of things. I feel physically and mentally ready for the season. We are well positioned.
“Every time I ride the Ducati, we have to change fewer things. This is very positive, because during a race weekend we have little time for choice.
“I only had a small problem on Sunday because I crashed on the first lap of my race simulation. I made a mistake and the set-up was not perfect with a full tank. When I hit a bump, I fell. But overall I'm very happy because I'm going faster and faster.
“Jorge is a really fast driver with a lot of experience. If he has any problems or questions, he will find the answers himself. We do our job and get the most out of our equipment.
“I'm very, very happy with the bike and my performance, it's working better every day, we now know how to make effective changes to the machine quickly, the bike is very competitive.
“I also drove with Michelin tires for the Austrian GP. The softer version was too hard for me, the left side barely warmed up, otherwise the grip was good. The variant with a slightly softer mixture would be ideal.
“The Honda is not a bad bike because Marc won the World Championship, but it never worked for me. What I learned from her is helping me now, but I don't know what results I can achieve in 2018. I don't have a crystal ball! »
Ranking of the day:
Combined ranking of the 3 days:
Photos © Pramac Racing
