Jack Miller's impressive run of dragging the under-developed Yamaha YZR-M1 into Q2 hit a snag at the Aragon Grand Prix, as a crash in Friday Practice dashed his hopes. The Australian had targeted a direct Q2 berth and opted to chase Marc Marquez – a seven-time winner at MotorLand – for a slipstream during his time attack.
The strategy unravelled at Turn 2 when the front tyre lacked temperature. “I slotted in behind Marc, but tipped her into turn two and the front tyre wasn't quite ready to roll, and she said no more,” Miller explained. “You hold on to the elbow as much as you can. You have a few warnings throughout the day but nothing major; you enter 8kph faster with it not quite on temperature just yet, and you crash.”
The crash forced him onto his second bike with a different setup and a front tyre that had already completed eight laps in the morning session, as hard fronts were in short supply. “The soft is useless, so we had to make do. With a brand new soft rear and an eight-lap-old front, it's pushing pretty hard, especially through the long corners,” he added.
Despite the setback, Miller felt competitive all day. “I felt honestly competitive all day, really strong on the pace and my performance. I'm happy with where I am with the bike and the improvements we've made today, just a small mistake at a costly moment.” He also highlighted Yamaha's main weakness at Aragon: top speed on the back straight. “It's massive. When you put fourth gear down that back straight, it's a big difference. But we can't do anything about that, only try to fix it where we can.”
Meanwhile, Fabio Quartararo tested a new chassis on Friday, which Miller is keen to try. “It's not a massive change but some steps in the right direction,” Miller said. However, he can only use it if Quartararo discards it this weekend. The decision will influence Miller's prospects for the remainder of the event.
Baca Juga
Marc Marquez beri nasihat penting ke Isack Hadjar soal cedera. Pebalap F1 itu absen di GP Belanda, dan Marquez ingatkan jangan memaksakan diri.
Francesco Bagnaia mengaku frustrasi dan sengaja berhenti di trek untuk menenangkan diri usai gagal masuk Q2 di GP Aragon. Ia kesulitan sejak Silverstone.
Marco Bezzecchi catat waktu tercepat di GP Aragon Jumat, tapi waspadai Marc Marquez yang diprediksi lebih cepat. Simak analisis dan target Bezzecchi.
Lanjutkan dengan Google
Diskusi & Komentar (0)
Mari Bergabung dalam Diskusi!
Masuk dengan mudah untuk mulai memberikan komentar, membalas, dan berinteraksi dengan pembaca lainnya.
Komentar Terbaru
Belum ada komentar. Jadilah yang pertama!