Jack Miller expects to close the gap to the factory bikes following the arrival of an upgrade to his Marc VDS Honda as the MotoGP season resumes this weekend.
The Australian heads to Brno with renewed optimism following a minor tweak to his satellite Honda which he hopes will help push him towards the top 10.
Miller returns to the MotoGP paddock after the mid-season break refreshed despite finishing fourth in the gruelling Suzuka 8 Hours for the Musashi RT Harc-Pro Honda squad last weekend.
The Townsville rider has finished seven of the nine MotoGP races inside the points helping him to 12th in the standings.
Eager to claim a top 10 overall for the season, he is looking forward to the boost from his upgraded bike at a Brno track which should suit Honda.
“I think it (Brno) is one of the tracks that really works well with our Honda,” Miller told Speedcafe.com.
“Here is a good flowing track for us and we have got a little bit of an upgrade on the bike.
“It (the upgrade) is just a tweak that should bring us closer to what the factory bikes have got on at this point in time.
“It is not huge but it is nice to have and be closer to what the factory bikes are running.
“It is really nice to start the second half of the season with a positive boost like that. It helps morale in the team ad gives us a bit of extra motivation too.”
While keen to begin the second half of the season on the front foot, his future in the premier class is yet to be concluded.
The Queenslander’s three-year factory Honda deal is set to expire at the end of the season.
Speaking to Speedcafe.com last month, the 22-year-old revealed he has several options including a chance to remain at Marc VDS Honda.
Hopeful to have his future secured sooner rather than later, Miller says the situation is not proving a distraction from his current campaign.
“It is no distraction, it is nice to be talked about I guess,” he added.
“It doesn’t really bother me all that much. I think in this job you have back stuff out.
“I know I have got options there but it is just a case of doing all the things we can do to try and get the best option for 2018.
“You always want it done as soon as possible but as we know its contracts they all take time. I hope it gets done sooner rather than later.”
While he remains focussed on racing in MotoGP next year, last weekend’s Suzuka 8 Hours endurance racing debut has whetted his appetite for another assault at the famous event.
“It was only last week but already I’m keen to head back there again. I enjoyed everything about it,” he said.
“We were fighting for the victory right up until my team-mate crashed.
“We were two and half seconds and closing on the leader but it ended prematurely, as it can do in endurance racing.
“It was a real shame to end it like that as we were on for a really strong result.”
Miller was 19th in free practice 2 with qualifying for the Czech Republic Grand Prix scheduled for 2210 AEST.
Discussion about this post