Jack Miller’s frank response to losing Suzuka 8 Hours shootout to Johann Zarco

Jack Miller delivered a typically classy response after he failed to overhaul Johann Zarco at the Suzuka 8 Hours.

Honda’s Zarco and Takumi Takahashi won the endurance race in Japan on Sunday, extending their manufacturer’s record win total to 31.

The Suzuka 8 Hours is a huge priority for Japanese brands so Honda and Yamaha both sent MotoGP representation.

At one point of the Suzuka 8 Hours, in particular, it threatened to become Johann Zarco v Jack Miller for the victory.

Miller reduced Zarco’s winning margin to 21 seconds - but the Frenchman brilliantly responded with the fastest lap of the race, at the time.

Yamaha were handed more hope when a Safety Car wiped out Honda’s advantage. Yamaha’s Andrea Locatelli briefly led, as a result, but inevitably lost the lead because he needed to pit.

Miller could only bring the #21 Yamaha, with Locatelli and Katsuyuki Nakayama, home as the runner-up.

“We're happy,” Miller smiled afterwards.

“The boys rode fantastically.we did all we could. Johann and Takumi were on another level today.

“We did our max, we'll come back again hopefully and do this again soon.”

Andrea Locatelli after 'hardest race of my life': 'My hand is done!'

Locatelli, the World Superbike Championship rider, set the fastest lap of the Suzuka 8 Hours with 2m06.604s.

Locatelli reacted: “I'm pretty happy with this performance. We try to do our best.

“Nakasuga-san made the best thing that he can. Jack also. I did my best. We finished only second.

“I would like to try to win, but anyway, I think we did an amazing job. So we are to be quite happy. We did an amazing weekend.

“For me it was a first experience. I'm really, really happy. I want to say a big thanks to Yamaha to give me this amazing opportunity. Now I can say that maybe I made one of the hardest races in my life. My hand is completely done, so anyway…

“But good performance, good feeling on the bike for sure. I hope to come back in the future again because it's an amazing experience. It's an unbelievable track. So yeah, let's see.

“I'm proud to be here and I'm proud to all the guys that are working hard all weekend.

“Also I made a good lap time in the race, so I think it's also a new record lap of the race. So yeah, I need to be happy now we have summer holiday!”