Miller: 'Sending it at turn seven is fun', finds 'big step' with electronics

Fastest Ducati rider on day-one of the Mandalika MotoGP test, Jack Miller points to progress with the electronics as a big reason why; 'I felt like we made a big step with the electronics today. It was a really important day for us'.

Robert Jones

11 Feb 2022

Jack Miller, MotoGP, Indonesian MotoGP test 11 February 2022
© Gold and Goose

Jack Miller likens the lack of grip at Mandalika to that of next month’s MotoGP season opener in Losail, believes progress made with the electronics could be key in such conditions.

Miller, who was quickest of the eight Ducati riders with P6, managed to split former Yamaha teammates Fabio Quartararo and Maverick Vinales during MotoGP’ first ever appearance at the Mandalika circuit.

Asked how the Ducati was handling around the new Indonesian circuit, Miller added: "Really, really good. We were playing around with everything because it is quite different to Malaysia.

"I felt like we made a big step with the electronics today, having the lack of grip. I think we'll also have these conditions in Qatar with the dust. It was a really important day for us."

After heavy rain and a red-flag affected proceedings early on, Miller was one of several riders to get quicker and quicker as the grip improved.

Of the 24 riders, 18 of them got within a second of Toprak Razgatlioglu’s WorldSBK pole position time which was set last November - Pol Espargaro was the only rider to beat it - however, conditions were much better when Razgatlioglu set that time, highlighting just how quick current MotoGP bikes are.

Although lap times will only get faster if weather conditions hold up, Miller was still able to experience the thrill of riding around Mandalika, which he called ‘a lot of fun’.

"Yeah, definitely. Lines were getting bigger and bigger and can actually use curbs which was no-go this morning," claimed Miller.

"So it was nice having 5th and 6th gear corners and a crazy amount of run-off. Safe as houses and a lot of fun. Doesn’t do it justice on TV but turn 7 is blind, sending it in there is a lot of fun."

As was the case for some WorldSBK riders last November, the new track surface is especially hard on the right side of the rear tyre, something Miller encountered predominantly on the medium tyre as opposed to the soft.

Miller added: "I first used the Medium we have. It wore pretty bad. I did 30 laps and the state wasn’t great. I was spinning down the straight.

"We ran the soft for 30 laps and it was running well. The temperature was bad but not really a problem.

"Malaysia was hotter but we have a nice sea breeze here. The character of the track creates a bit of rear tyre temperature. You are asking a lot, especially here on the right hand side."