The penultimate round of the 2022 season marks the first match point of Pecco Bagnaia, who arrives in Sepang with 14 points ahead of Fabio Quartararo. The Ducati rider needs to earn 11 points to close the championship this weekend, finishing fifth if the Frenchman doesn’t score points.
In recent races it has emerged that Ducati has given all its riders instructions on how to battle with Bagnaia, calling for caution especially for positions other than those on the podium. Jack Miller has revealed that he will lend a hand if needed, but is fully focused on his goal of finishing third in the championship after being mathematically cut out for the title last weekend at Phillip Island.
“My main goal is to race for myself,” said the Australian from Ducati, who is currently 27 points behind third. “Personally, third place in the championship is still achievable for me. It’s not easy, but the riders ahead of me haven’t had any positive races lately. So I have a good opportunity to earn some valuable points if this situation continues ”.
Jack Miller, Ducati Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
“So, I think my first goal is to try and score as many points as possible. If Pecco needs a hand, I’ll be there, don’t get me wrong. But in the end this is an individual sport and I will try to do the best I can. The difference between a third and fourth place in the league is a considerable amount of money. We start from third place, last year I finished fourth and they gave me a lot of money ”.
Jack Miller admits that Bagnaia’s advantage in the championship makes it easier to chase third place, but points out that he won’t do anything stupid if he runs into his teammate in the Sepang race on Sunday: “For sure, he has some good points. Now. So at Phillip Island it was calmer because they were all close, virtually all almost level on points. This weekend will be a bit different, I can focus more on my race. Whether it’s for the championship or 15th place, the last person you want to hit is your teammate. So you go cautious, at least that’s what I do ”.
#MotoGP #Miller #goal #Bagnaia