Jack Miller was left red-faced after his Austrian MotoGP ended with lap times slower than the Harley-Davidson Baggers race. The Pramac Yamaha rider finished 21st, but the sting came from his closing laps, which were a full second off the Bagger lap record. "Embarrassed" was the word he used, and it wasn't hard to see why.
Miller's woes began early. He battled electronic gremlins all weekend and, despite passing Franco Morbidelli and Pol Espargaro in the opening laps, his rear tyre began to spin violently. After a best lap of 1m30.939s on lap 3 of 28, his pace plummeted. He switched to the lowest power map, but the tyre was already destroyed, down to the base rubber.
By lap 9, Miller was at the back of the field. His times ballooned: 1m33s on lap 23, then 1m34, 1m35, and 1m36. The final two laps were 1m38.929s and 1m40.225s. For context, the Bagger class race lap record at the Red Bull Ring is 1m38.689s. So yes, a MotoGP prototype was slower than a modified Harley-Davidson.
"It's not a day I'm happy or even want to think about. Quite embarrassed," Miller said. "Couldn't do nothing. From about lap 13, 14 onwards, spinning on the straight line, can't do f**k all with it." He explained that he switched to map 2 on lap 3, then map 3, but the tyre kept overheating. "I was on the base rubber. Big old strip of base rubber about 'that' wide in the centre. Couldn't open the throttle on the straight. Had to be cautious going into the corners because you're on the base rubber, so the thing's trying to spin around on you."
This isn't the first time Miller has suffered with this particular tyre casing. He had the same issue in Thailand. "All of us Yamahas in general struggle a lot, so it's always a bit of a bastard," he admitted. "We've had it twice this year, this casing, in Thailand and here. And both times I finished with a strip of bare 'that wide everywhere in the centre of it." Despite the dire performance, Miller never considered retiring. "No, I'm not a guy that parks it. Out there to do a job. The race isn't over until it's over. You never know if a red flag can fly or whatever, so better off being in it than not being in it."
Miller's struggles were part of a larger Yamaha nightmare. Four of the last five finishers were Yamaha riders. Fabio Quartararo was 17th, 30.140s behind winner Pedro Acosta. It was a weekend to forget for the Japanese manufacturer, and it highlighted their ongoing issues with tyre management and electronics.
Looking ahead, Miller is hopeful that Motegi's normal tyres will bring relief, but he's wary of Mandalika, where the same casing will be used. "Hopefully Mandalika's a track where you're kind of on the side of the tyre a lot more. So we'll wait and see," he said. If not, Miller might once again find himself posting 'Bagger times' and feeling embarrassed.
Baca Juga
Alex Marquez dan Fermin Aldeguer bersenggolan di MotoGP Austria, berujung crash Marquez. Insiden rekan setim Gresini yang akan berpisah musim depan.
Jack Miller merasa malu karena catatan waktunya di MotoGP Austria lebih lambat dari lap balapan Bagger. Masalah ban dan elektronik jadi penyebab.
Marco Bezzecchi mengaku otaknya 'terbakar' setelah podium ganda di MotoGP Austria 2026. Meski tertinggal 42 poin dari Jorge Martin, semangatnya tetap membara meski cedera lutut mengganggu.
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