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MotoGP, Jack Miller: "Fabio overtaking? I seemed as slow as an old lady."

Another podium for the Australian rider, his fifth this season: "The new chicane makes the circuit more fun, but no less tiring. Pecco is a fantastic rider. His concentration is incredible. Jorge Martin like at Silverstone. I don't know if he wanted to hit me or overtake me."

MotoGP: Jack Miller: "Fabio overtaking? I seemed as slow as an old lady."

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Jack Miller faced the Austrian race with tenacity, battling it out with the best riders on the grid, and defending a third position that gave him his fifth podium in the Championship. He first fought with Bastianini's Ducati. Bastanini had to then leave the race prematurely due to a stroke of bad luck. Martin entered, and Jack stood up to the Spanish rider’s attacks, inducing him to make a mistake. In the last stages of the race, he finally gave in to the talent and unscrupulousness of Fabio, who entered the chicane closing his trajectories, bringing his Yamaha to the second step of the podium. We already knew that Jack Miller was competitive in the past, but it seems that, for the Australian rider, his farewell to Ducati at the end of the season has become one more reason to end his partnership with Borgo Panigale in the best way possible.

Yesterday, after qualifying, you said that it would be important to keep the level of performance high, and so it was.

"After the Barcelona tests, every race weekend was positive," Jack explained. "Even when I had to face penalties, I always managed to fight for the podium by giving it everything I had. The bike was perfect today. Maybe I could have attacked more in the first laps. Pecco knew it, and took off. I also fought with Enea. I had the soft front compound, and I needed to cool it. Unfortunately, I couldn't do it right then. Fabio appeared right at that point and overtook me in an absurd and unexpected way. It was a good race. Fabio gave it his best, and Pecco. I never get tired of saying it. He’s a great rider. To be at the head of the race until the end, without making mistakes that can cost you dearly, you need incredible concentration."

Were you more surprised by Fabio overtaking at the chicane here in Austria or the one in Mandalika?

"Today I was really surprised by the speed with which he entered. Looking at it on the screens, it seems like I’m racing at the speed of an old lady," Jack said jokingly. "At that moment, I was having difficulty facing those corners, and I had to slow down to prevent the front from closing. Probably the fastest change of direction on the calendar. What he managed to do was impressive. I was coming from an attack, and he was able to not only respond, but also to keep the trajectory immediately after."

There was also a moment of tension with Jorge Martin at the top of the hill as he entered the first corner.

"He launched himself, similar to what he did at Silverstone. Luckily, I was able to calibrate the brakes and prevent the bikes from touching. I don't know if his intention was to actually keep that trajectory. Then his front closed, and he slipped off the track. Jorge Martin did something similar at Silverstone. I don't know if he wanted to hit me or overtake me. He has to stay on the track, and he didn’t for two races. He was unlucky, but he made my life easier in the last laps."

Your garage mate, Pecco, is going through one of the best periods of his career. Overall, the atmosphere in the garage looks very positive, and the upcoming races should be good for you, including your home GP.

"I can't wait to go back to my part of the world," Jack confessed. "After two difficult years, we’re finally back to racing in other circuits that I love. Pecco has won three races in a row, like Casey. A difficult undertaking, considering the current level of the MotoGP. I’m happy to be part of this team and this atmosphere, even if I’m the number two rider. The atmosphere of the team is perfect, and I think that this contributes to obtaining better results. So, no doubt, it’ll be important to keep all this in the last stages of the championship."

After twenty-eight laps with the new circuit layout, what can you tell us about this race? Was it less physically demanding than in the past?

"Surely, the track is safer, and we haven’t seen anyone risk dying at turn three this year," he replied sharply with sarcasm, referring to the accident between Zarco and Morbidelli. "The new chicane makes the track different, perhaps more fun. We now have that turn with a slow change of direction on a track with many similar corners. If you have a lot of grip, you can really make a difference in that segment. But I wouldn't say it made the race any less tiring. After all, it's still twenty-eight laps. Maybe Pecco is better trained than I am!"

Did you have to take precautions to balance the bike setup with the tires?

"Actually, from the tests in Barcelona, there was almost nothing to change. Apart from some precautions from an electronics aspect, the bike is proving to be competitive in every situation. Here, in Austria, the wear on the rear was less than what was expected, which allowed us to play with the set-up to tackle the slower corners better, to avoid spinning. I think these tires were fantastic over the weekend. All the riders were able to face the race with different options."

Translated by Leila Myftija
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