Ja🌄ck Miller lived up to his prediction of a Motegi podium challenge, at least during the early stages⛄ of the Japanese MotoGP.

The Pramac Ducati rider rocketed from the outside of the second row and climbed to third place, behind Marc 🧸Marquez and Fabio Quartꦬararo, within a few laps.

But the Australian – who had put lonꦆg runs on the same soft rear tyre in practice🦩 - suddenly began to struggle, fading all the way back to tenth by chequered flag.

"We had an issue with the rear grip," Miller explained. "It came around lap 5 🍌or 7. Si🅘nce then I was more-or-less in survival mode.

"I don't🦋 know what happened. I felt really comfortable, really strong, I was just trying to stay with Marc and Fabio and thܫen all of a sudden I couldn't push any more.

"So wꦬe have to go through the data and understand what went wrong and where.

"Really disappointed, but we brought it home. It's not where we wanted to be after fighting for the podium at t♓he start. I believe we had more today, but we weren't able to show it."

Andrea D𝕴ovizioso went on to give Ducati a podium finish with third ⭕place, using the medium rear tyre.

Miller remains eighth in the world championship but his hopes of beating Quartararo to top satellite honours now look to be over, with t👍𝔉he Petronas Yamaha rider 48-points ahead with only 75 points remaining.

MotoGP now heads straight for Miller's♔ home event at Phillip Island, which starts on Friday morning.

Miller's rookiꦑe team-mate Francesco Bꦯagnaia finished the Motegi race in 13th place.