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It is difficult today to find a happier man than Jack Miller, who is so happy that he almost can’t believe it. "I'm on a rollercoaster of emotions" he repeats, undecided whether to laugh or cry. His first win with a Ducati is a rush of sensations that he can't control. "The tough guy is just a mask, everyone knows it - he says - When I crossed the finish line, I was happy at the first corner, at the second I was crying, at the fifth I was screaming".
Climbing that top step of the podium meant so much for the Australian who had started his adventure in red the hardest possible way: disappointing results in Qatar, the operation to solve the problem of arm pump, the crash in Portimao. Now all those moments have been erased.
“The last few weeks have been difficult for me - he says - I felt frustrated, angry, I had no confidence in myself. Now, as they say, I have a new life coach. It used to be my mother, but it didn't work well, so I found Lucy Crutchlow, Cal's wife. In the last few weeks she told me how much I was worth, this morning she sent me a message too, sometimes it is good to hear certain things, we are human. Cal? I don't need him, he just tells me things I already know” Jack joked.
Lucy was right because Miller showed what he's made of.
“I’ve never rode that precise, that good in my entire life. I don’t think I’ve done 25 laps in a row like that in my life. So, it’s fantastic to get that win. But I didn't think I could win, let's say I only realised it at the last corner - he burst out laughing again - I couldn't really believe it because a dream came true, something I thought about 90% of the time. When I got to the pit lane and saw everyone cheering for me it was really exciting, I'm sorry if I made someone cry, but I just tried to be myself ”.
Doubts had recently surfaced about Jack and not having a contract next year didn't help…
"I had already started talking to two construction companies in Australia - he once again laid on the irony - I would say that now it’s better. The fact is that a lot of people in this world quickly forget what you have done in the past. This also applies to Morbidelli, who is here with me on the podium today, people don't remember that last year he finished 2nd in the World Championship with an old bike. There are those who have more respect and some less, but I think about doing my job and becoming the best person possible ".
He seems to have succeeded, but it has not been an easy path. Many observers remember his passage directly from Moto3 to the premier class…
“I wouldn't do anything different, maybe if I had already retired I would think differently. Getting to MotoGP is difficult for everyone, ask Franco and Pecco too. That was my path, my opportunity and many people helped me to take the right direction, because I was very young. It worked, I never gave up. In the past few days I saw on TV some images of me and Bagnaia here in Jerez on the podium in the CEV, we were more or less 13 or 14 years old, and today we are here, in the official team, first and second. It's incredible".
But all true…
"I can’t thank everybody at Ducati for having my back, from Dall’Igna, to Tardozzi, to Ciabatti, to Domenicali. It’s just a flood of emotions right now. They supported me, for me winning with these colours is a dream. Today was great and Pecco pushed really hard in the final laps, when I saw my advantage drop from 2 to a second I said to myself: oh no, not on the last lap! ".
Everything went perfectly and now Miller has only one problem: how to celebrate by thinking about tomorrow's tests…
“Maybe we'll cancel them, I'll talk to Gigi about them. I would say that our bike goes pretty good on this track" was his final comment.
