Jack Miller has attributed his failure to make the top 10 in Friday MotoGP practice at Phillip Island to a set-up misstep which created a rear-end issue for his Ducati.
The Queenslander was second-quickest in Free Practice 1 for the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, a session he might well have topped if not for catching Darryn Binder on his final lap.
However, in the second session of the day, in which every rider went faster than they had gone in the morning, Miller could only manage 13th.
He put it down to a lack of front-end load, which was caused by an attempt to stabilise his Desmosedici at a circuit which flows far more than most.
“Not the ideal first day, but I’ve had worse, that’s for certain,” said the Ducati Lenovo Team pilot.
“I felt good this morning, put the tyre in, the bike was working relatively good, but then this arvo, I had a little issue with the rear.
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“The thing kept squatting and around here, especially with the wind that was blowing, I just couldn’t get the front loaded in a lot of these fast corners, and I just wasn’t able to really push or put a lap together.
“We have some ideas of what we need to change for tomorrow but it’s just one of those things with Phillip Island.
“You always have these, let’s say, moments where you’ve got to try and set the bike up almost completely different to any other track around because there’s just so many corners you’re entering without loading it with the brakes.”
The problem puts Miller on the back foot so far as qualifying is concerned.
While there is another session in which he could earn direct passage to Qualifying 2, Free Practice 3 will be held on Saturday morning at 09:55 local time/AEDT, when temperatures are expected to be lower than optimal.
As such, ‘Jackass’ could be forced to go the long way around if he is indeed to fight for pole position that afternoon.
“I feel good, I have no issue with what we can do with the bike, so I think we’ve got a decent plan for tomorrow,” he added.
“So, just hoping that the weather stays decent enough for us in the morning to have another time attack.”
Johann Zarco was fastest in both sessions, on a Prima Pramac Racing-entered Ducati.
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