Miller welcomes first podium of season
Monday, 11 April 2022
The Aussie finished third after leading the majority of the 20-lap race
Jack Miller has taken a glass half full approach after scoring his first podium finish for the season at the Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
The Aussie led for the majority of the 20-lap race, but fell back into second behind Enea Bastianini with four laps to go. The Ducati rider then lost out to Álex Rins on the penultimate corner, having to settle for third at the finish line.
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Despite the last-minute drop in pace, Miller was pleased to take his first podium for the year, scoring a handy 16 points to boost his championship challenge.
“It's a half and half feeling for me after a race like that. Some disappointment, but it was good to be back up on the box again,” Miller said.
“It was hard work out there and my face was about as red as my leathers afterwards. I tried my best to break away from the boys but they were pushing behind me, and I just made a couple of slight mistakes.”
Miller praised the work of race winner Bastianini who took his second win of the season after winning the opening round in Qatar.
The 2020 Moto2™ world champion is riding with the Gresini Racing MotoGP team, using a 2021-spec Ducati Desmosedici GP21.
“If I knew what Enea was doing to the Ducati to get that little bit of extra performance, I'd do it,” Miller added.
“He's riding well, and when he comes past it looks effortless.”
Now with a podium under his belt, Miller is looking forward to starting the European-lead of the championship in what has been an unpredictable start to the 2022 season.
“I feel I'm back on track with where I should be after these first four races before we head back to Europe,” Miller said. “So all in all, pretty happy.
“It's such a long season and so much has happened already when you think I'm the 10th rider to get on the podium already and this was the fourth race.
“It was really nice to show the pace – for 16 laps anyway. We'll try to find the other four laps over the next week and head to Portugal.”
Miller sits seventh in the championship on 31 points with the Portuguese Grand Prix next on April 24.
