Miller eyes 2020 factory seat as 2019 season gains momentum
Jack Miller said he was pushed to the limit by the nervous energy not they physical strain after claiming a career first dry race podium in the Texas Grand Prix.
It had been a barren run since June 2016 when Miller splashed his way to an epic rain–soaked win in the Dutch TT riding a Honda for the since-dissolved MarcVDS MotoGP squad. This was also his first podium on a Ducati and another step towards his ambitions of taking over Danilo Petrucci’s factory gig alongside Andrea Dovizioso in 2020.
Miller has out-qualified Petrucci at the opening three races and finished ahead of the Italian in Argentina and Texas after a non-finish in Qatar.
A gamble on the soft front tyre paid-off at the Circuit of the Americas, but only just, as Miller fought fading grip and a late–race surge from Dovizioso who finished 0.8s behind the Australian in fourth.
“I’m really stoked to bring it home in third, this one means lot to me as my first podium in the dry,” Miller said. “I was shitting myself in the last four laps trying to manage the gap to Dovi. I knew what I needed to do on the last lap, I had 1.7s to play with.
“I was nervous more than tired today, it was good to have both arms working unlike last year when I had an injury. The front tyre was really degraded on the right side at the end.
“I was thinking I couldn’t push it too hard in the first sector because when I put it on the angle the thing would start closing on me.
“Over the bumps I was on the gas to take up the chain force and I usually never use my elbows but, fuck me, I had to hold it couple times.
“I knew I couldn’t stick with Rins and Rossi up front or I’d crash, so I just managed it to stay ahead of Dovi.
“I feel if I had different front tyre, in hindsight the medium was probably a better option, I could have challenged for the victory.
“This is another step in the right direction, I’m getting closer to those guys at the front.”
More importantly Miller finished thirteen seconds ahead of Petrucci down in sixth place, both on factory GP19s.
“I’ve out qualified him at every race and finished ahead in both the races I’ve finished,” Miller said. It hasn’t really sunk in but it will be nice to get a few more podiums this year.”
By Colin Young
