Jack Miller returns for Phillip Island MotoGP test
Jack Miller will return to action next week at Phillip Island, where he will test alongside his Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS teammate, Tito Rabat.
Miller was forced to sit out the first MotoGP test of 2016 at Sepang after fracturing the tibia and fibula in his right leg in a training accident but the 21-year-old Australian has been passed fit to ride at Phillip Island by doctors, after completing an intensive rehabilitation program following the injury.
Rabat heads to Australia keen to continue his familiarisation with the Honda RC213V he’ll campaign in Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS colours this season, after a successful first outing at Sepang just over a week ago.
The former Moto2 World Champion made a significant step forward on the final day of the Sepang test, as he worked with his crew to improve his feeling with the bike on the harder of Michelin’s two rear tyre options. Rabat will continue to seek improvements on the harder compound tyre at Phillip Island, a track he rates as one of his favourites.
The three-day Phillip Island test gets underway on Wednesday 17th February.
Jack Miller
“I’m itching to get back on the bike after such a long lay off and I don’t think we could have chosen a better track at which to return than Phillip Island given my condition. With only four right turns it means I’m not going to be working my injured right leg so hard, although it’s still going to be a tough test. I’ve been training hard here in Australia and working with my local physiotherapist to reduce the swelling in the leg, to give me more mobility on the bike, and it’s looking good. I’m looking forward to putting some laps in on the bike, getting a feel for the new electronics and seeing how the tyres have improved since Valencia.”
Tito Rabat
“Malaysia was a positive test; it was good to be back out on the bike and working once again with the team, but now we go to Australia looking to increase the pace and reduce the gap to the fastest riders. To do this we need to continue working to get the best from the hard rear. My feeling was good with the soft tyre in Sepang, but the same wasn’t true of the harder option. I did a lot of laps and we saw some improvement over the three days in Malaysia, which means we head to Phillip Island with a good base from which to start working to improve further.”
Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“Jack has been working hard to regain fitness after his injury and he was adamant that he was fit to test in Australia. The doctors who’ve managed his rehabilitation agreed with his assessment, so he will ride at Phillip Island. It will be a tough test with the injury but it will give Jack an opportunity to evaluate the control ECU and unified software for the first time and to assess how far Michelin have progressed with the development of the tyres, so it will be a worthwhile three days for him. Tito, as always, is keen to get back on the Honda RC213V and continue where he left off at Sepang. He made a significant step with the harder rear tyre in Malaysia and I’m confident he can do the same again in Australia.”
