So that was short, wasn’t it? I mean, it’s hard to say much when your race lasts nine seconds… I made a decent start, passed about three blocks into Turn 1, then the next thing I knew I was on the floor at Turn 2.
It happened so almost, I was on the gas, and then I was in the dirt after getting a whack from behind. I looked up and saw it was Brad (Binder), who’s a guy I like, and I just threw my hands up – “what the f**k Brad?!” But, you know, it happens. He said it happened so almost for him that the first he knew about it was when we were laying in the gravel, so he was about as surprised as I was.
It wasn’t like he meant it, and believe me, we’ve all been there. Today it was his turn. Nobody’s fault – it’s just how racing goes sometimes. Sometimes you get hit, sometimes you’re the one who does it to someone else. I’d probably be more pissed off if I had a great result taken from me but when you qualify 14th like I did, then this is what can happen in the first few corners. Was a good old whack too, I’m pretty thankful that I feel OK now because both shoulders and knees copped it and the seat was basically destroyed, so I was pretty happy to walk away. And it wasn’t like I had an amazing result taken from me, based on how things had gone all weekend.
The plan was to be there at the end, not on my ass in two corners. But it is what it is.
All day Saturday I was losing grip coming into the corners, the last corner especially, and I was still pretty much scratching my head after qualifying. In the long left-handers like the last corner, the others just seemed to have way more grip than I had at any stage on corner entry.
I was a bit surprised that we hadn’t made much progress since we were here a week ago, I felt I was riding at the limit, but clearly that limit wasn’t good enough. I just didn’t have any feeling whatsoever. It obviously wasn’t going to be easy from that far back on the grid, so I guess we had to cross our fingers and hope for something magical on Sunday. I didn’t see much happening to be honest… turns out I was right about something this weekend. That’s three DNF’s in the last five – a tear-off in the airbox in Misano, the engine problem in Le Mans and then this. Not a lot I could do about any of them really.
Jack and Brad Binder after their crash at the Teruel GP.
© Red Bull Content Pool
Speed-wise, we just didn’t have it here – last weekend was pretty average but it was good compared to this one. I was quietly confident that I could do something in the race and I went for the medium tires again like last week, hoping I could just be calm in the first few laps and then pick a few blokes off as the race wound down. I was hardly on podium pace or anything but there were some top 10 points for me. The plan was to be there at the end, not on my ass in two corners. But it is what it is.
As for the championship, we have three races to go now and it’s probably (Joan) Mir’s to lose. I mean, he’s just super consistent and to get third from 12th on the grid on a day when the others like Fabio (Quartararo), Mav (Maverick Vinales) and ‘Dovi’ (Andrea Dovizioso) struggled again … you’ve got to hand it to him. He’s just doing what he needs to do, and the others are making all of the mistakes. He’s not won a race yet and some people are trying to say he needs to win one if he’s to be considered a proper champion if he takes it out, but I don’t agree, it doesn’t devalue it at all. He’s playing it the right way so far, so fair play to him.
Anyway, that’s a lot of talking for a race that I could have summed up in one sentence! I’m pretty glad Aragon is over, and I’d like to go home thanks… I’m looking forward to getting out of here, and to finishing my time with the Pramac guys better than this in the last three races. We’ll be back in a couple of weeks to give it a crack in Valencia.
Jack was speaking with MotoGP writer Matthew Clayton.
This content originally appeared on jackmiller43.com.au and has been reproduced with permission.