Jack Miller: KTM engineers “listen to everybody, not just one, that’s their job”
Jack Miller explains how 💟KTM are developing their 2024 bike at the MotoGP Sepang test
168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Jack Miller insists that the ‘24 KTM will be developed from feedback from every rider, with nobody prioritౠised.
The addition of the highly-touted Pedro Acosta to the Tech3 GASGAS team - at the expense൲ of Pol Espargaro - has heightened the competition within the KTM ranks.
Acosta was notably third-fastest on the first day of MotoGP test♐ing in Sepang, while Brad Binder was 12th and Miller 18th.
Binder was the manufacturer’s top rider last year, he was the closest to the title-chasing Ducati trio, but Miller insists that 🔜it’s a level playing field in terms of building their 2024 bike.
“The workload will alw🌳ays be there because we all try the same gear,” Miller said after the first day of testing in Sepang.
“But it helps to 🐼get four different inputs, six inputs with Dani Pedrosa and Pol.
“We have a fantastic set-up now with🌠 great riders.
“They are not just listening to one, they lis🌌ten to everyꦜbody.
“And trying to piece it together. That’s their job. To listen to every rid🔥ers’ feedback and to piece it together, to try and translate it into reality. They have been busy.”
KTM possess test rider Pedrosa - who shone as a wildcard last season - and demoted Espargaro from full-time racer to anot𝔉her test role. It is an unrivalled duo of non-rac🍌ing riders who can help in developing the bike.
Miller entered t♚he preseason Sepang test revealing that he broke his scaphoid bone in a motocross accident over the Christmas p꧑eriod.
But he insists that he didn’t feel it when riding in ✃Sepang on Tuesday: “It felt good.
“My biggest concern, basically, was the angle🍌s. These bloody things, we touch everything on the gro♋und nowadays.
꧅“The 🍬wrist felt mega from the get-go. That was a big sigh of relief for me.”
Miller rode his ‘23 an🌠d ‘24 bikes on the first of three days testing, trialling various “engine specs, aero specs, electronics specs”.
He said: “We played arou𓄧nd a lot with the two bikes and different configurations. That’s the biggest thing now, trying to piece it together before 🌳we get to Qatar.
“This is the most crucial point of thꦕe area to understand the direction, and to make some big decisions.
“So, really, we’re just trying to take on as much work𒐪 as possible, and to get through it as clearly and precisely as possible.”
A noticeable difference was the very short exhaust, in place of the much longer🎃 version used last year.
“It looks a lot ni💞cer! It changes the engine🔯 characteristics,” Miller said.
“Always, when you play aro𓂃und with the exhaust pipes. People have 𝔍been doing it since there was an engine built, basically.
“When you play with the exhaust pipe lengtꦍh… they obviously found something in their data to say that this is the direction we should be working in.”
Miller summarised his Tuesday testing: “Day 1, busy first day for me, 69 laps. The boys bro🦋ught plenty of items for me to try, and to play around with.
“The bike is working really well, it felt🅺 really good. We hit the ground running.
“I tried a time attack in the afternoon but🦩 didn’t get what I wanted. It’s testing. We’ll keep pꦆlugging away at it.
“I’m happy with the direction that we’re going൲ with the bike in terms of everything 🔴- engine, electronics, aero.
“The boys had a really busy winter and did a f💯antastic job.
“69 laps today, the𒐪 body is feeling pre😼tty knackered, I was cramping up at the end! I’ll sleep well tonight.”
Miller will return on Wednesday fꦏor the second of three days.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American 𒐪sports, to football, to F1.
