Jack Miller takes 8th in Qatar season opener

Jack Miller opens MotoGP campaign with eighth place in Qatar

Jack Miller achieved his first target of the season with a stirring ride to finish eighth in tonight’s opening round of the MotoGP World Championship in Qatar.

Miller set a clear preseason goal of finishing top ten in the championship and he kick-started that with his performance in the shortened 20-lap race.

The race start was delayed by 45 minutes while officials waited for safe conditions and a rain shower to clear and they cut two laps from the race distance.

Miller made a brilliant start from 16th to be 10th on lap one before surging to seventh behind Honda factory rider Dani Pedrosa on lap eight.

However in tricky, cool and low grip conditions Miller settled for his top ten target of eighth when Aleix Espargaro and Scott Redding made late race charges to move ahead.

The championship moves to Argentina for the second round in two weeks.

Jack Miller – P8

“After all that’s happened this weekend with the weather and the lost track time, it is a great way to start the season inside the top 10. The small crash in FP1 really set us back on Thursday and then the weather pretty much dominated the next two days. What I’m happy about is that I could carry the momentum gained in the preseason and I’ve felt better each time I’ve jumped on the bike. It’s very positive to be in the top 10 and the only disappointment is that I was a little bit tense on the bike in the first part of the race and I was squeezing the handlebars too much and it had a bit of an impact on the transition from brake to throttle. Apart from that it was a very positive finish. It’s a result both myself and the team can build on and I want to thank my guys because they gave me a really competitive package this weekend.”

Michael Bartholemy – Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS Team Principal

RelatedPosts

It’s finally official! Jack Miller on a Pramac Yamaha for 2025 MotoGP season

September 20, 2024

Jack Miller Extended Cut – Grading 2023, and looking to 2024…

February 13, 2024

“It was an entertaining weekend because of the tricky weather conditions but I’m happy with the performances of both Jack and Tito. I predicted ninth for Jack and he finished eighth, it was just a pity that in the final laps he could not keep the pace of Scott Redding. Tito did a good job to score a point in 15th so we leave here with both riders in the MotoGP points. All weekend the race officials were striving to make it safe for the riders to race and while the start was delayed I think the race certainly made up for that. It was an exciting battle to watch and a great way to get the season started. Thankfully when the forecast rain did arrive it did so after chequered flag.”

MotoGP 2017 – Round One – Qatar – MotoGP Race Results

1. VINALES  Maverick 25 SPA 25 Yamaha Factory Racing Team 38’59.999
2. DOVIZIOSO  Andrea 4 ITA 20 Ducati Team 0.461
3. ROSSI  Valentino 46 ITA 16 Yamaha Factory Racing Team 1.928
4. MARQUEZ  Marc 93 SPA 13 Repsol Honda Team 6.745
5. PEDROSA  Dani 26 SPA 11 Repsol Honda Team 7.128
6. ESPARGARO  Aleix 41 SPA 10 Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 7.661
7. REDDING  Scott 45 GBR 9 Octo Pramac Racing 9.782
8. MILLER  Jack 43 AUS 8 Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS 14.486
9. RINS  Alex 42 SPA 7 Team Suzuki Ecstar 14.788
10. FOLGER  Jonas 94 GER 6 Monster Yamaha Tech 3 15.069
11. LORENZO  Jorge 99 SPA 5 Ducati Team 20.516
12. BAZ  Loris 76 FRA 4 Reale Avintia Racing 21.255
13. BARBERA  Hector 8 SPA 3 Reale Avintia Racing 28.828
14. ABRAHAM  Karel 17 CZE 2 Pull&Bear Aspar Team 29.123
15. RABAT  Tito 53 SPA 1 Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS 29.470
16. ESPARGARO  Pol 44 SPA 0 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 33.601
17. SMITH  Bradley 38 GBR 0 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 39.704
18. LOWES  Sam 22 GBR 0 Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 47.131
19. PETRUCCI  Danilo 9 ITA 0 Octo Pramac Racing 6 laps
20. IANNONE  Andrea 29 ITA 0 Team Suzuki Ecstar 10 laps
21. BAUTISTA  Alvaro 19 SPA 0 Pull&Bear Aspar Team 13 laps
22. ZARCO  Johann 5 FRA 0 Monster Yamaha Tech 3 14 laps
23. CRUTCHLOW  Cal 35 GBR 0 LCR Honda 16 laps

MotoGP 2017 – Round One – Qatar – MotoGP Championship Points Standings

1. VINALES  Maverick 25 SPA 25 Yamaha Factory Racing Team
2. DOVIZIOSO  Andrea 4 ITA 20 Ducati Team
3. ROSSI  Valentino 46 ITA 16 Yamaha Factory Racing Team
4. MARQUEZ  Marc 93 SPA 13 Repsol Honda Team
5. PEDROSA  Dani 26 SPA 11 Repsol Honda Team
6. ESPARGARO  Aleix 41 SPA 10 Aprilia Racing Team Gresini
7. REDDING  Scott 45 GBR 9 Octo Pramac Racing
8. MILLER  Jack 43 AUS 8 Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS
9. RINS  Alex 42 SPA 7 Team Suzuki Ecstar
10. FOLGER  Jonas 94 GER 6 Monster Yamaha Tech 3
11. LORENZO  Jorge 99 SPA 5 Ducati Team
12. BAZ  Loris 76 FRA 4 Reale Avintia Racing
13. BARBERA  Hector 8 SPA 3 Reale Avintia Racing
14. ABRAHAM  Karel 17 CZE 2 Pull&Bear Aspar Team
15. RABAT  Tito 53 SPA 1 Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS