Jack Miller believes the new Ducati GP22 MotoGP bike has ‘greater’ potential than the 2021 package that won seven races last season.
Like his team-mate Francesco Bagnaia, day-one of the Sepang MotoGP test was a quiet one for the Australian as he got to work on a bike that has a new engine, electronics, fairing and exhaust available for this weekend.
But despite the changes, Miller says the GP22 bike has retained its core DNA and that only ‘slight tweaks’ have been the biggest changes since he joined Ducati in 2017.
Regarding the 2022 bike’s differences, Miller said: “It’s nothing major. It’s still in the same family. If you look through the previous years, from when I was here, the GP17 up to now it was just slight tweaks every year.
“It’s a next evolution of the bike. It’s not overwhelming. Big thing to get head around when you first get on it. There are a few little things that have changed. They are all multiplied to work together and make you feel uncomfortable.
“You just need to understand what you need to do. I’m not putting any pressure on ourselves. We’re kind of limited with the tires we have. We’re not throwing tires at it.
“This time last year we topped every test there was and we know how well that worked out. We’re trying to build steadily and get comfy on the bike and do the work we need to do on the bike in the tests.”
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While it’s perhaps too early to rank which bike is better given this is the first official pre-season test of the year, when asked Miller said the 2021 bike is currently better, although this year’s Desmosedici has ‘greater potential’.
“Yeah. I think so (2021 bike better?). We know that bike very well,” said the 27 year-old. “That’s one way to look at it.
“But I think the potential with the new bike is greater. It’s taking time. It’s about working with developments that we have to make in order to have a better bike this time next year when we’re testing the 2023 bike.
“It’s all very easy to get on a bike you know and that you have ridden in 19 grand prix. But it’s like a new shoe. It feels strange at the moment but after a while it will be your shoe.”