Two weeks after an excellent Spanish Grand Prix, which saw him take third place in both the Sprint and the main event, Jack Miller again delivered strong performances this Friday at Le Mans.
At the circuit where he won two years ago, he set the fastest time in the first two sessions of the weekend and is naturally very optimistic about his first results.
“It’s nice to start Friday like this, the bike works really well here,” said the Australian. “This afternoon was a bit more difficult, there was a lot of wind. However, the bike is continuing with the same momentum as in Jerez, even if the track is notably different.”
“It gives me a good feeling to attack in the areas where I feel strong; and in the areas where I wasn’t so comfortable this morning, I was able to understand and find speed. This morning I struggled a bit in the first sector and also in the last one, where I tried to be a little cleaner. I seem to be very competitive in the two central sectors”.
Miller can also see some progress, having kept the new components evaluated in the Jerez tests, with the exception of the aero package (he did use the new rear wing though), as teams are only allowed to use two versions during the season. The KTM is also equipped with a new fork designed with WP, the manufacturer’s technical partner.
“It’s surreal! Frankly, working with WP has been fantastic from the beginning. They have incredible technologies in the field of suspension. They are definitely among the leaders and our advantage is that we are the only ones who have them, so it’s even better.”
Binder thinks the pace of the KTM is incredible
Brad Binder
Riding the second official KTM, Brad Binder found the right rhythm on Friday too. He was third fastest in the morning and seventh in FP2, but he could have done better if he hadn’t crashed at the start of his final stint. The South African believes he can improve his bike, but he’s already satisfied with his performance.
“It was a great day for us,” said Binder. “I felt good in FP1. The second session was also very good. We tested a few things. Tomorrow we will need a slightly better balance, but when we have solved the problem I think we will have the right solution. I am very satisfied with the day. Unfortunately, I crashed with the last tire and I couldn’t set a time because it was the first fast lap, but it can happen. Even so, we managed to get back into the top 10, so it’s very positive.”
“I can’t wait for tomorrow. I think we can do a good job, we will have to put the final details together in tomorrow’s session. I hope to do a good qualifying and a good sprint.”
Binder believes that KTM is keeping up the momentum from Jerez, showing the ability to get good results at every track: “It’s incredible. It seems to me that every time I do a lap I’m always fast, at least in the last two weekends. It’s incredible. you feel much calmer and you don’t have to attack at the limit. I’m very happy with the progress we’ve made. I know we can make some small improvements tomorrow and I hope we can still fight tomorrow.”
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