Assen an up-and-down track for Miller, 2016 a ‘massive highlight’

Jack Miller returns to the scene of ‘massive highlight’ - first MotoGP win (2016), even though Assen is a circuit ‘I’ve never really gelled with.”
Jack Miller, German MotoGP, 18 June 2021
Jack Miller, German MotoGP, 18 June 2021
© Gold and Goose

Factory Ducati rider Jack Miller will return to the scene of his first MotoGP win this weekend as the Dutch TT makes a return. 

Miller’s exploits in torrential rain at Assen 2016 on a very unfavoured Marc VDS Honda, showed just what the Aussie rider was and is capable of, even though it’s a circuit ‘I’ve never really gelled with in the dry’.  

Miller is hoping to go better than he did in 2019 - the last race held as 2020 was cancelled, which he believes will be the case due to the Desmosedici GP-21 that’s been fighting for podiums ‘week-in-week-out’ so far this year. 

Miller added: "Yeah for sure the memories flood back. It’s kind of been an up-and-down track through my career. 

"Sure there’s that massive highlight in 16, but it’s one I’ve never really gelled with in the dry let’s say. But I’m keen to get here again this year. 

"I struggled last time out in 2019 a little bit, but I think with the package that we have this year, we’ve got a bike that should be able to fight for the podium week-in-week-out.

"It just wasn’t our day last week. I felt mega all weekend but just wasn’t able to put it together in the race."

The key to improving on a ninth place finish to years ago, tenth the year before, is the fast change of directions that were still an issue in Mugello, but have been better on the whole this season.  

Miller said: "The change of directions has been quite difficult and also the long corners. For example, in the first sector we have some really long corners - they were a bit tougher in the past.

"But as we’ve seen this year, the bike has made a massive improvement. 

"In Mugello we still struggled a little bit with the fast change of direction like the last sector.

"But here with the pitching of the bike, hopefully it shouldn’t be too much of an issue, but we will have to see in free practice."

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