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Wet track, slick tires: Jack Miller arrived just in time for the Q2 in Portimão. In fact, despite a small hitch, the Australian rider got a 4th place that’s worth the second row for tomorrow. “You know, I really like these conditions, they’re fantastic,” he said laughing. “All kidding aside, everything went well for us. It was very difficult or the riders in Q1, because the track was half dry and half wet.”
His teammate, Pecco Bagnaia, paid the consequences. He ended the day in the hospital, fortunately without breaking anything.
"He lost the right moment by a lap and a half," Jack explained. "In my opinion, you first have to do a full lap with the wet tires, sacrificing even a little time, to understand where the wet areas are and then where to go with the slicks. Pecco returned without completing the lap. He didn’t pass to the first corner. That cost him."
Miller knows the risks they take.
“Using slicks in wet conditions is very difficult. The most important thing not to do is be impatient. I know it’s strange said by me,” he said jokingly. “You have to push hard enough not to cool the tires, but you can't immediately attack. You have to build your ride progressively, figure out how the bike reacts. The conditions in Q1 were really tough. They were at the limit between wet and dry tires."
He did not have these problems in Q2..
"I immediately felt good with the slicks. The bike worked quite well, and it’s important in conditions like these where you have to follow the right trajectory," he said. "The wind was quite strong, especially in the last corner, but I'm happy. I screwed up my last lap. I made a mistake, losing my rear at the first corner. Other than that, I can't complain.”
But tomorrow they’ll be racing without many references.
"We’ll look at the data from last year. The tires are rather similar, but the temperatures are different,” he reflected. “We have a basic set-up that’s already good. The warm-up will be important enough to figure out pace and tire wear."
What race are you expecting?
"Of all kinds. We’ll have to understand what conditions we’ll find,” Miller answered. "But if it doesn't rain, it’s more fun to rider here in dry conditions. The pace of the Suzuki and Aprilia is good, and they hardly wear out the tires, but I'm excited for tomorrow. It’ll be interesting."
