MotoGP: Jack Miller hopes Hungary gives Yamaha “something we really need”

After Yamaha’s toughest event of the season at the Red Bull Ring, MotoGP heads straight for another stop-go circuit, the new Balaton Park venue in Hungary.

The key difference, Yamaha hope, is that the Hungarian track should provide much needed grip compared to the Red Bull Ring.

That’s not just due to the new asphalt, but also a return to the standard rear tyre construction.

Pramac’s Jack Miller, who finished 18th and last on Sunday in Austria, said:

“I‘m looking forward to racing at Balaton Park. It‘s a brand-new track for all of us, and I‘m curious to see what we can do there with our bike after a very tough weekend in Austria for Yamaha.

“I really want to take a step forward in Hungary, and hopefully the fresh asphalt will give us more grip – something we really need. As always, we‘ll give everything we‘ve got.”

The only MotoGP laps at Balaton Park so far have been by test riders, in June, while WorldSBK made its debut at the tight 17-turn circuit last month.

“From what I‘ve seen watching the Superbike races, it doesn‘t look like an easy track, with lots of braking, slow corners, restarts, and changes of rhythm,” said team-mate Miguel Oliveira.

“Still, I hope it can be a much better weekend for us than Austria.”

Team director Gino Borsoi added: “Since Balaton Park is a new circuit for everyone, we‘ll all be starting from zero.

“The layout doesn‘t seem to perfectly suit the characteristics of our bike, but grip should be much better than what we had at the Red Bull Ring. It will be important to start immediately with the right pace.

“We know the direction we need to work in, and the key will be staying very focused on what we do.

“It‘s not an easy moment for Prima Pramac Yamaha or for Yamaha as a whole, but we are capable of coming out of this situation.”

With Moto2 star Diogo Moreira tipped to join LCR Honda next year, Miller and Miguel Oliveira look to be in a straight fight over the remaining Pramac ride alongside Toprak Razgatlioglu.

However, Moto2 title leader Manuel Gonzalez, a former Yamaha rider, could also be a dark horse for the seat.