Jack Miller: “Down I went… A shame, but the pace is there”
Pramac bullish despite Jack Miller heading for Qualifying 1 at the Spanish MotoGP: “Old-school circuit really suits the Yamaha”
Jack Miller believes “the pace is there” despite a late Friday practice crash sending him into Q1 at the Spanish MotoGP.
The Pramac Yamaha rider was on course to secure direct Q2 access when a Turn 7 tumble, during his final time attack, ended his hopes.
“It’s a shame, but the pace is there. The feeling on the bike was good right from the morning," said Miller, who began the day promisingly with sixth in FP1.
"On my first lap with the new tyre, I was behind Marc but we hit a yellow flag, so we had to abort. That still ended up being my best lap.”
On his second attempt, Miller pushed again, this time behind former Ducati team-mate Francesco Bagnaia.
The Australian saved a front-end tuck at Turn 1 but then overloaded the front again while chasing the red machine.
“On the second tyre, I was following Pecco and tucked the front at Turn 1, but I managed to save it. Still, I lost some time and had to push hard through the next two corners to close the gap,” he said.
“I was feeling strong. But I came into Turn 7 a bit hot, didn’t get much stopping from the rear, forced the front a little, and the bike just gave up - down I went.
"We just need a bit more support from the engine braking, and I’m confident we’ll get that sorted for tomorrow.”
Miller’s best time was only 0.235s off the Q2 cut, while Monster Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo underlined the potential of the M1 at Jerez by leading the session on his way to fifth.
“This old-school circuit really seems to suit the Yamaha,” said Pramac team manager Gino Borsoi.
“We’re obviously disappointed by Jack’s crash, which cost him a Q2 spot that was well within reach.
“But his pace, both over one lap and in race trim, is very encouraging. That gives me a lot of confidence heading into the Sprint and Sunday.”
On the other side of the Pramac garage, Augusto Fernandez ended the day in 20th.
“We had to make some setup changes, and that gave me a better feeling,” Fernandez said. “But we’re still not getting much support from the rear, which is making things tricky.
"The front end feels great - you can see that from Fabio’s pace - and we’re narrowing the gap.”
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
