MotoGP Phillip Island: Miller heads home for a five-rider fight

MotoGP returns to Australia for the first time since 2019, and with five riders split by 40 points as the season nears climax.

It’s an overused phrase, but there truly is nowhere like Phillip Island. A Grand Prix circuit so perfectly poised to deliver great racing – and serve up an incredible experience in the saddle – that it’s almost a myth unto itself. There could be no better stage to kick off the next double header. If that wasn’t enough, there are also now five riders within 40 points, with 75 still up for grabs. Monster Energy Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo remains the championship leader, Ducati Lenovo’s Pecco Bagnaia is now within just two points, Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro within 20, Gresini’s Enea Bastianini 39 and, last but by absolutely no means least, Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo) is the rider at a deficit of 40. But they say there’s no place like home…

Miller will be firmly in the spotlight this weekend as he rides with the factory Ducati on home turf for the first time, and he has chance to turn that into even more momentum. Of the top five in the title fight he’s scored the most points across the triple header – 56, with the next best being Bastianini on 42 – and over the two flyaways it’s a whopping 45/50 for the number 43. For comparison, across Motegi and Buriram, Bastianini has scored 17, Bagnaia 16, Quartararo eight and Aleix Espargaro just five points. It’s close at the top as one rider or another has faltered, but Miller has chased down that gap because he absolutely hasn’t. So what has he got on home turf?

Far enough back to ride without too much pressure from the standings and with good speed shown at the Island, he’ll be one to watch, and in terms of pressure the same can be said of Bastianini,