MotoGP | Miller impressed by Ducati tyre management

A seventh consecutive podium monopolisation and eight riders in the top ten. Ducati has once again crushed the competition at Silverstone and, despite a concession system that favours all rival brands, especially the two Japanese ones, the Italian brand has strengthened its dominance in MotoGP this year. This should change next year, with fewer Ducatis on the grid and the withdrawal of a factory bike in 2025, but in the meantime it is becoming increasingly difficult for the other manufacturers to resist.

Over the course of the races, one of the keys to Ducati’s current dominance seems to be its mastery of the rear tyre. The new version introduced by Michelin initially caused problems for the brand, with concerns about vibration, but these seemed to have been fully resolved by Jerez, an event from which only Desmosedici GP riders have finished on the podium in the main race.

Aleix Espargaro, Ducati’s first rival at the Silverstone finish line, saw the mark “two notches ahead” in rear tyre management. Jack Miller, only 12th at the finish line, but fourth among the “non-Ducatis”, noted at the end of the race that Franco Morbidelli, forced to recover after two long lap penalties, had a much better rear tyre in the final laps.

“I feel it’s more sensitive than before,” the KTM rider commented. “There are some who are extremely good. Quartararo passed me with two laps to go, opening the door for Frankie, who then got rid of Fabio very quickly. You could see the grip he had at the end of the race, it was impressive, and the same goes for the times of those in front. We need to work to use the tyre better, or to exploit its potential better.”

“My tire was finished at the end, no doubt about it,” Miller added. “From the beginning I was really focused on getting the bike up before I accelerated, the sidewall was finished. I felt I was stronger than Saturday, I had exactly the same tire, but I didn’t feel as strong, whether it was the colder conditions or something else. I really struggled to get the tire to work, especially on the right side.”

Miller immediately felt a lack of grip in the slower corners, which saw him drop from ninth at the start of the race to 12th under the chequered flag. The day before, however, he had used the Sprint to prepare for the main event, being the only rider to choose the medium tyre rather than the soft rear. The Australian was satisfied, confident that degradation was under control.

“I didn’t feel like it was a big advantage to go with the soft tyre,” he explained after the Sprint. “For me it was more about understanding what we were dealing with and trying to get some information. Obviously KTM has collected some interesting data. I stayed within 1’59”, and I felt like I could maintain those times for at least another six laps. I think this data will be really important for the race.”

In addition to the cooler weather changing things, the longer race seems to favor the Ducatis, who had “only” four riders in the top 10 during the Sprint, although the crashes of Marc Marquez, Pecco Bagnaia, Marco Bezzecchi and Franco Morbidelli on Saturday changed things.

A good sprint for Miller

With this Sprint Jack Miller achieved his second best result of the season on Saturday, taking seventh place. Starting 11th on the grid, after having a lap cancelled for cutting a corner too much and for the yellow flag at the end of Q2, he gained positions during the race, taking advantage of the crashes and overtaking Maverick Vinales on the last lap.

However, a contact at Turn 4 on the opening lap caused damage to his bike. “Alex Marquez took a weird line, we made contact on the outside and he tore my fins,” Miller explained on Saturday. “I rode the whole race with damaged aerodynamics, but the bike was still working quite well. I think we were the only ones with the medium rear tire.”

“At the beginning I struggled a bit to stay with the others, who were accelerating a bit more coming out of turns 7 and 9 and in other places, but towards the sixth or seventh lap I felt that the situation was changing in my favour and I started to fight with them, or at least to keep up with them because they were starting to degrade the tyre.”

It was a welcome performance at a time when Miller knows he is set to lose his KTM ride and his MotoGP future is uncertain. Although he insisted his phone didn’t ring before the start of the weekend, he was spotted in the Pramac team hospitality on Sunday, suggesting a last-ditch opportunity to secure a seat. Knowing his future is uncertain, Miller is keen to make the most of his remaining MotoGP races.

“I started from scratch. I’m enjoying what I’m doing, I’m focusing on the pleasure of riding the bike, without stressing myself too much. It’s almost over, so I have to enjoy the last races. As they always say, a happy rider is a fast rider. Maybe that’s the case. I’m not totally focused on what the future holds, I’m just trying to enjoy the moment.”