MotoGP Austin: ‘Satisfied’ Miller bounces back, ‘track’s awesome!’

Ducati Lenovo’s Jack Miller put the woes of Argentina firmly in the past as he spent Friday at the top on his COTA return.

While Pramac’s Johann Zarco pipped the Australian to the outright lead with his penultimate lap in the afternoon practice, Miller was happy with both the Desmosedici’s pace and the work done by his factory team across the opening day in Texas.

“Yeah really satisfied!” Miller confirmed from the US. “I mean it’s been a good weekend so far. The bikes working really well, the track’s awesome, back to normal COTA.

“For sure it’s got a few little bumps here and there but I mean that adds character to the racetrack I think. We don’t have to worry too much as we used to, but the tracks very unique in its own.

“I’m having a ball. The bike’s working really well. Being able to improve it throughout the day and the team is working really good. Very, very happy after Argentina to come here and feel like that on the bike.”

With track changes the talking point as the weekend fired up at the Circuit of the Americas following winter resurfacing efforts, the Ducati rider’s memories of last October’s visit were clouded with differing concerns.

“Last year, it wasn’t too bad up until FP3, I think FP3 we were top,” he explained. “But I had a rough qualifying and then had to push early stages of the race. I think we qualified like 12th or 11th? Something like that and had to push early stages of the race and just burnt the tyres out.

“I’ve been on the podium here in the past, it’s a track I really enjoy coming to and I feel like we’re in good shape for the Saturday and Sunday to come.

“The bikes working, as I said, really well. We’ve changed it a little bit throughout the day with settings and what not and we got a little