Jack Miller: “They tell you ‘you may be killed’ - I lost friends, broke bones”
The KTM MotoGP rider has been riding bikes since he was two, and racing since he was a seven-year-old.
He has offered a startling revelation of the mentality needed to conquer fear.
“In Australia, where I grew up, before every race, you do a rider’s briefing,” Miller told GQ.
“And they tell you: ‘You may be killed or injured; your machine may be damaged or destroyed’.
“That’s something that burns itself in the back of your brain - and I’ve broken well over 30 bones, and lost some really great friends.
“But did I ever think about quitting the sport? Does it even pop into my mind? Never.
“That can happen with the things you love: You’re scared about it, but you don’t really think about it.”
Miller’s ex-Ducati teammate and his friend Francesco Bagnaia added: “Fear is part of our sport.
“It’s part of our job: When you crash at high speed, you feel fear - you’re arriving to the gravel very fast and approaching the barrier very fast - but before that, you don’t think about it.”
Fabio Quartararo, the 2021 MotoGP champion and Yamaha rider, went further: “You need to put your balls on the bike and give your best.”
Quartararo described Turn 1 at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas to underline the speed and bravery of MotoGP riders.
“Right here, after the backstraight,” he said, “we arrive there at 340 kilometers [211 mph] and we take the corner at 60 [37 mph] - that’s 280 kilometers [174 mph] difference in only 250 metres.”
Quartararo has paid a physical toll over the years.
“I broke my foot, my back, my wrists, my fingers. . . many things!
“Actually, my left wrist is really bad - I broke it in more than 20 parts.
“[It’s in the] past - now we need to focus on the present.”
The 2023 MotoGP season, which has featured a new format introducing sprint races at every round on Saturdays, has been littered with injuries.
Marc Marquez has notably failed to complete a grand prix yet, in part to hand issues.
Pol Espargaro has missed the entire season after a crash on the first Friday left him with a broken jaw, a serious back injury, and a lung problem.
