“Qualifying has become fundamental if you want to stay ahead in the race”. This is the leitmotiv of the current MotoGP, in which the position on the starting grid has assumed an important role in the running of the race. With increasingly sophisticated prototypes thanks to extremely developed aerodynamics (perhaps to excess?), qualifying has become a key moment in the race weekend.
However, KTM brutally denies this new unwritten rule and, especially in these first races of the season, has given us incredible shows with the lightning-fast starts by its standard-bearers, Jack Miller and Brad Binder. The latter was perhaps the most striking example: in Termas de Rio Hondo won the Sprint starting from the 15th spot and scoring a great comeback which already took place in the first metres. In fact, from the traffic light to the first braking point he gained 10 positions, a situation that is now rarely seen in MotoGP.
The last one to show the effectiveness of the RC16s at the start was Jack Miller, who started from the second row at Mugello and was the author of a start that skewered all the riders in front of him. The Australian, as we know, in addition to being a great driver, is also a singular and loved character for his bizarreness. At the Italian Grand Prix he was no less and, in the straight immediately after the start, he raised two fingers as a sign of victory as soon as he realized the extraordinary lead that allowed him to take the lead at the first corner.
A singular and pleasant gesture by Miller, captured by Pecco Bagnaia’s on-board camera. The Ducati rider saw the Australian’s KTM whizzing by, once again demonstrating the incredible growth of the RC16, which remained somewhat in the shadows last season. “Well, the start was fantastic, I had a crazy starting point and I almost passed Pecco even before he started moving. I also held up two fingers to celebrate my departure,” said the Australian at the end of the race, who finished in seventh position.
The secret of departures? The development of the lowering device, which at the moment is even more effective than that of Ducati, which had already introduced it in 2018 (at the time only at the rear). This is what allows the two pilots of the Austrian brand to be extremely quick at the start and refute the current concept according to which, paradoxically, qualifying is almost more important than the race.
However, if there is a driver who can show this great ability in a particular and bizarre way, it is definitely Jack Miller, who once again put on a show not only with his driving skills, but also with the light-hearted and likeable way of approach the cameras (wherever they are positioned). The gestures of Jackass they never go unnoticed and this could not be outdone. It is really appropriate to say “Viva Miller”, therefore, as we usually say in these cases when the Australian shows himself in all his exuberance.
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