Jack Miller was on the verge of securing another podium at the Portuguese GP until the Australian made an unfortunate mistake while trying to overtake Joan Mir for third place.
The Aussie displayed strong pace and attempted a lunge on the main straight to overtake the 2020 MotoGP™ World Champion.
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He went in too hot and wiped out not only himself but collected Mir as well.
Miller commented after the collision; “I felt good, the race was going well. I’d conserved the tyres for the first 16 laps.
“I started closing on the guys in front and when Johann Zarco passed Mir I said, ‘Alright, I need to start setting up a pass here.’
“I tried for three laps in a row to get close enough into Turn 1, and it felt like I did, but as I went to pass, I was a fair bit on the inside, I don’t know if I collected one of the damp patches there.
“I went deep, Joan went deep. Joan released [the brakes], I released, and I was just on the s**t part of the track trying to stop the bike.
“I tucked the front, [and] t-boned him.
“Crashing out of a race that late in a good position like that is always s****y, and then taking a rival out as well makes it even worse. Feels a real stinker.
“But it is what it is; just try to take the positives. We were in a good position, felt solid all weekend, the pace was there to the end of the race, so not much more to say.”
The crash has come at a tricky time for Miller as he’s trying to push his case for a contract renewal at Ducati.
Amazingly the two riders vying for his seat, Jorge Martin and Enea Bastianini, both crashed out in the race as well.
The Portuguese GP was won by Fabio Quartararo, followed by Zarco (Pramac) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) on the podium.
Miller will have the opportunity to redeem himself this upcoming weekend at Jerez on the 1st of May.
An unlucky finish for @jackmilleraus in Portugal 😔
— Australian MotoGP™ (@ausmotogp) April 24, 2022
The Aussie ended his race early after crashing into @JoanMirOfficial in a battle for third place 💔#PortugueseGP #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/jTU1mVN4LK
