Jack Miller was one of the last riders to hit the track on day one of the official MotoGP test in Qatar, but it was still a day to remember for the Australian who made his debut in the all-red Ducati.
Miller completed the fourth-most laps of all in the top ten on his way to fourth place at 54.
In view of the unpredictable wind conditions that prevailed along the entire route, Miller and his team decided to forego time attacks and concentrate more on increasing the level of comfort.
That also meant there wasn’t much to test new parts that will come out tomorrow on the final day and next weekend in the three-day test.
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Miller said, “To be honest, we didn’t test that much today on the items.
“The first laps, especially in this wind, felt very strange after a while without a motorcycle.
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“With the wind and everything out there, it made no sense today to drive a time attack. I did my best lap on one tire on the fifth or sixth lap.
“The best time before that was on lap 10 on this tire, so I never really set a lap time. I just focused on our pace and worked with the guys in the garage so they could hear and understand my feedback, how I explain things. “
Ducati is entering the 2021 season with a brand new line-up, for the first time in 2012. But with the form of Miller and teammate Francesco Bagnaia temporarily in 2020, the fight for the title will again be the main goal.
While this was Miller’s official debut with the factory team, the Australian was able to ride a few laps on Panigale superbikes as early as 2021 as part of a test organized by Ducati in Jerez.
Miller suggested that this might be a reason for an initially strange feeling with the GP bike.
“It was just about getting the bike right and one of the bikes had a brake lever a little higher than the other,” Miller said.
“Generally everything was pretty good, but I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been driving the Panigale for the past few weeks, but it all felt strange! The handlebar position, the seating position and everything felt strange for a few laps.
“I think the wind had a lot to do with it, because you wiggle around a bit trying not to get in anyone’s way.
“All of the things we found today are over and I am very happy with the way things are happening in the pits and we hope to keep working on them tomorrow. I felt good physically on the bike, which was nice, but sure I’ll sleep well tonight! “