Jack Miller "devastated" by French GP crash after showing promise

Pramac Yamaha rider Jack Miller was “devastated” after crashing out of the MotoGP French Grand Prix having gambled on what would later prove to be a successful strategy.

Starting from eighth on the grid, Miller opted to remain on the wet tyres when others came in for slicks and ended up being the quickest rider within the first few laps.

He was several seconds ahead of eventual winner Johann Zarco, who was on the same strategy, but then Miller crashed on lap five.

“Devastated,” said Miller, “because we did everything right. Gutted for the team. They [the team] were spot on with their forecast.

“Gino told me before the race started, there’s more coming, and I stuck to him and trusted his word.

“I knew there was one point there were I was like ‘okay, if it [the rain] doesn’t come this lap, we’re kind of fucked here’, but it did come.

“And yeah, right at the crucial point when the crossover was about to happen was when I went down.”

Jack Miller, Pramac Racing

Photo by: Marc Fleury

He continued: “I was just trying to nurse it and do all the right things, and when you have a highside like that where you don’t really understand what the fuck went on, it hurts more than losing the front knowing what you’ve done.

“It’s just a strange one, especially when it stepped out, kind of flipped me over the front, I was like, dumbfounded a little bit.”

Discussing the feeling of the Yamaha bike, Miller said: “The feeling was alright, I went with the medium option, and even then I was still trying to nurse it in that drier conditions at the beginning of the race just to try not to smoke the wet tyre.

“Obviously you lose all your tread and then you’re basically on a slick anyway. The bike was alright, I was struggling a little bit.

“The more it got wet, the more I suffered with the edge grip on the rear. She was floating a bit. But I was able to ride relatively comfortable the majority of the track up until that point.”

But despite what could have been, he remained positive about the team’s current position.

He said: “Speed and pace was good, yeah, bike’s working well. Obviously it’s a crazy race today, but nonetheless, happy with where we’re at. Just need to put some points in the bag.”