Jack Miller, Spanish MotoGP 28 April 2023 // Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202304284292 // Usage for editorial use only //
A defiant Jack Miller was left thrilled to prove his doubters wrong to secure his first MotoGP podium finish with KTM in only his fourth event with the Austrian manufacturer.
The Aussie elected to switch from the Ducati camp to the factory KTM team after being replaced in Ducati’s official operation by Enea Bastianini for 2023, a move seen by many as a step down for Miller after KTM struggled to fight towards the front last season.
The marque has managed to make a major step forward with the ’23 iteration of its RC16 challenger though, with Brad Binder having secured a pair of sprint race wins as well as the runners-up finish in the Spanish Grand Prix, with Miller following his team-mate home at Jerez in third – leaving the duo third and fourth in the riders standings respectively.
Miller admitted post-race that he didn’t expect his first rostrum with KTM to “happen this quickly”, and that he is happy the “risk” he took on himself to move to the organisation has come off – the four-time premier class race winner declaring “F you to the doubters.”
“I’m having a ball (at KTM), I love this stuff and a lot of guys in this championship complain about the bike they’re on and how other bikes are better and so on, if you really want it go out and do it it’s not difficult,” said Miller.
“I wasn’t gonna stick around where I was because I wasn’t feeling comfortable, I needed a new challenge.
“I took a risk on myself, people do it in business all the time and I trust in myself and my ability, and it feels mega when it comes off so I can’t thank KTM enough for giving me the opportunity, and F you to the doubters because I love it when it comes off.
“I didn’t think it (podium) would happen this quickly, people said yesterday the KTM couldn’t slide around like that and stay there but myself and Brad proved that this wasn’t the case.”
Miller conceded that he was powerless to do anything about Spanish GP victor Francesco Bagnaia and Binder in the closing stages of the encounter, though was left satisfied with the overall level of KTM across the event as the brands test rider Dani Pedrosa also possessed top-six level pace all weekend despite it being his first in two years.
“The boys rode a fantastic race, it was a long gruelling one trying to manage the tyres and the front end,” continued Miller.
“Brad (Binder) rode phenomenally and I’m gutted for him because to lead that many laps and not come away with the big one is tough, but he was great and didn’t put a foot wrong all race, as did Pecco who was up and down like a yo-yo during the race with his penalty an everything.
“It’s been an awesome weekend for the team with Dani (Pedrosa) leading FP1, so to be at this level at round four is really nice.”
Keyword: Miller: ‘F*** you’ to the doubters