Jack Miller: It stung, I had a podium in my pocket
Jack Miller is looking to 'redeem himself' in this weekend's second Red Bull Ring MotoGP event after 'throwing away' a potential podium finish in last Sunday's Styrian round.
The factory Ducati star was hounding Fabio Quartararo for third place and, with ten laps still to go, it looked very much a case of when rather than if the Australian would pass.
But Miller pushed too hard while trying to stay close to the Yamaha rider on entry to Turn 7, sending him into his third DNF of the season.
"Fabio was gaining on edge [grip]. Just mainly on the exits," Miller explained. "By the time I got it up on the drive point of the tyre I was good. They’ve got a bit of torque I guess. The bike seemed to accelerate well out of those corners. He gained a few bike lengths then I'd gain at the back end of the straight where I’ve got the top speed.
"I was trying to get back on his arse at Turn 7 to have a lunge into 9 and clearly asked too much of the front. As I was tipping in, it started going on me. There’s that white line painted black before the corner, it started from there. I held it for a little bit...
"It really hurt that one. It stung. I essentially had a podium in pocket and threw it away. I’m very disappointed in myself and sorry for the team."
But Miller's disappointment didn't prevent him warmly congratulating his former Pramac Ducati team on their first MotoGP victory, courtesy of rookie Jorge Martin.
"In-between my sulking I went next door when the [Pramac] boys came back from parc ferme and gave them all a big hug," Miller said. "All those mechanics are my old mechanics. I’m stoked to see them get a win.
"Especially Jorge. The guy’s a star. Paolo [Campinoti] as well, he’s put a lot into the team. It’s unreal for them to get a win. They’ve been close many times with myself, Danilo and more. Very happy for them."
The back-to-back schedule means Miller, fifth in the world championship but now 72 points from Quartararo, will need to wait just five days before returning to the Red Bull Ring circuit to try and 'redeem' himself.
"This weekend will be a chance for me to redeem myself after the crash," he said.
"These days, the team could analyse the data to understand what happened, and it will be an important [for us] to prepare in the best way for the Austrian GP."
Team-mate Francesco Bagnaia, leading when the initial race was stopped last weekend, could only finish in eleventh place during the restart.
The Italian didn't want to point the finger entirely at his rear tyre, but admitted, "for the second race the rear of the bike was not working. I felt it very soon.
"In the first race I was very strong. Everything was working like all weekend. But in the second part of the race nothing was working like rest of weekend, apart from the front."
Looking to this weekend, he said: "Now we have a good base from which to set the work, and certainly, the experience of last Sunday will come in handy.
"The weather will once again be the real unknown factor, but we'll try to be ready to face the race in any condition. I'm very determined to finish the Austrian GP well.”
Bagnaia is fourth in the world championship, 58 points from Quartararo.
