Jack Miller buoyant: “Felt shit” after Qatar, podium “realistic” in Portimao
Jack Miller reacts to goiꦚng second-fastest on Friday in Portimao at the Portugꦍuese MotoGP
Jack Miller delivered a much-needed reminder of his capabilities with a P2 finish at Friday Practice at the Portugue🌳se MotoGP.
Miller was behind only Enea Bastianini on a hugely positive day for the KT༺M rider.
At the season-opener in Qatar he endured a dreadful 21st-placed finish, the worst possible start to 🍃a season where he must earn🅘 his next KTM contract.
Miller said a🦩fter going second-fastest in Portimao on Friday: “It was a good day, obviously.
“The conditions were not what we expected, with𝕴 the rain overnight.
“The bike is working well, as it has done all year. It’s nice to sh🌳ow up and𝔍 have a crack!
“There are areas we can improve on the hꦅard tyre and the🎀 soft.
“It’s nice to be through to Q2,ඣ that’s the first job done.
“The way I felt this afterno🌠on, when I did the lap times on hard tyres, I was happy.”
Miller had an early crash in Portimaoꦆ but rebounded confidently.
He was asked if the circuit suits his machine,🗹 a♕nd said: “The old KTM maybe was more manoeuvrable.
“All the bikes now have gone t�ꦐ�o the longer wheel base.
“But, our bike does suit it. From Turnꩵ 1 to 3, you can pitch the thing sideways and get it to stop on a dimepiece, and follow th🦩e white line around the inside, which used to be pretty hard on the Ducati.
“So it’s a track that suits our bike.
“Qatar suited our bike too. I didn’t feel terrible. I just didn’t put it to💮gether.”
Miller beli🙈eves a podium is possible this weekend.
“I think it every week otherwise I wouldn’t♑ 𓆏show up,” he said.
“But obviously it seems more realistic this week.
“I felt eꦡxtremely shit after the race in Qa💛tar but that’s a different story.
“We have a great package. We🌌 just need the s✃tars to align and we can do a great job.”
Miller went through a rigorous fitness regime before the start of the 2024 MotoGP ꩲseason but wasn’t able to show off his hard work due to a terrible result in Qatar.
“I worked extremely hard on the offseason, and in the week between Qatar and here, to exhaust every o🍸ption and to work on myself physicall♊y and mentally,” he said.
And he added: “F***ꩵ** food, I’🔥ve never eaten so much fruit in my life, I am trying everything!”
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports,𒐪 to football,🤡 to F1.
