Jack Miller: “At that point, it was basically unrideable”

Jack Miller’s Italian MotoGP campaign came to a frustrating end after just ten laps, as a string of technical issues left his Pramac Yamaha “basically unrideable” at Mugello.

The Australian, who started 13th, lost five places on the opening lap while battling a slipping clutch, which flared up moments after the red lights went out.

“Right from the start, the clutch basically burned itself out as soon as I let it go - even though my launch was good,” Miller explained.

“For the first three laps it was slipping badly. I was short-shifting everywhere, trying to bring it back to life.

“It recovered somewhat, but every time I hit a bump, it felt like a kick and threw me wide. I got passed by everyone, and after a contact with someone on the first lap, I also lost a wing, which had me wheeling all over the place.

“Then we had a fuel [delivery] issue that made the bike even more aggressive. At that point, it was basically unrideable. I tried to keep going, but in the end, I had to retire. It was a tough one, but we’ll reset and look ahead.”

Miller pitted from 15th on lap 10 of 23. He now heads straight to Assen – the scene of his first MotoGP win for Marc VDS in 2016 - just 19th in the world championship on 31 points.

While team-mate Miguel Oliveira made the finish, the Portuguese rider could only manage 13th place - albeit as the top Yamaha across the line after a photo finish with a fading Fabio Quartararo.

Even so, Oliveira was 26.4s behind race winner Marc Marquez and admitted the performance gap was “too much”.

“Being the first Yamaha across the line makes it a little less disappointing, but honestly, the result and the gap to the front – 26 seconds – is what really matters, and it’s too much,” said Oliveira, also riding in a special livery on Sunday.

“We lacked performance, we lacked pace, and managing the bike’s vibrations was tough. The heat and the difficulty in overtaking made things nearly impossible.

“Just staying with the group in front meant pushing the tyres to the limit, with no chance to manage anything. It was a tough race, but it is what it is. We’ll analyse everything and aim to improve for Assen.”

Oliveira, who missed four rounds earlier in the season due to injury, remains 23rd in the standings on six points.

Team Director Gino Borsoi admitted it was a “very difficult weekend” for Pramac Yamaha, but praised Oliveira’s perseverance.

“It was a very difficult weekend – complicated right from the first day,” Borsoi said.

“That said, I want to highlight Miguel’s strong race, which gives me hope for the future.

“Unfortunately, Jack was affected by a technical issue that forced him to retire.

“We definitely need to improve, especially in these high-temperature conditions.

“Still, I believe we’ve come away with a better understanding of how to handle these situations, and I’m confident that this experience will help us take a step forward.”