Miller’s double Le Mans MotoGP DNF “not good enough”

Miller tumbled out of the sprint race at Le Mans last weekend and was fighting for the top six having led briefly in the grand prix when he crashed at Turn 4.

This has seen the Australian slip 45 points back in the championship standings, with Miller “kicking myself” for not capitalising on bad days for numerous title contenders in the grand prix.

“Just a weekend of mistakes from my behalf, which isn’t good enough,” Miller said when asked by Autosport if losing points or hindering his KTM adaptation through his crashes frustrated him more.

“I apologised to the team and everyone for that, and we’ll try to be better in Mugello.

“We are still 45 points back. We’re not that far back from the lead.

“And on a day when Pecco scored zero, and a couple of other guys too, it could have been a good day for points and we didn’t take any.

“So, I’m kicking myself for that.”

Miller’s sprint race crash was down to him running the medium front tyre and not feeling confident enough on it, while his Sunday spill came as he took too much kerb at exiting the Dunlop chicane.

Jack Miller, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Photo by: Marc Fleury

“Not the weekend we wanted, but it’s what we got dealt,” he added.

“I was trying really hard, I led a few laps there in the race, sort of sat at my pace.

“I didn’t have the greatest of feelings on the left rear. I was just really trying to nurse the left part of the tyre, especially towards the end. I sort of stuck around my pace, but when [Marco] Bezzecchi came past he had clearly more speed than me – he just rode away from me.

“I didn’t feel comfortable spinning it up that much.

“I started pushing with seven to go. I just set my best lap and then, like a f***ing idiot, I just cut the kerb at Turn 4 a bit too much and it was over.

“I just changed direction a little bit too aggressively, cut too much of the kerb and she went away. There wasn’t much I could do with it.

“I tried to hang onto the bike, and ended up getting shit-whipped.”