MotoGP Portimao: ‘It wasn’t our day’ - Mir

Joan Mir saw a podium disappear in the dust after Ducati’s Jack Miller skittled his Suzuki Ecstar out of the Portuguese GP.

Having led for the opening three laps, Mir circulated in second for the majority of the 25-lap race before Johann Zarco arrived on the Pramac Desmosedici. Two further laps in the final podium position was all the 2020 Champion would see, however, after Miller’s turn one move put them both in the gravel as lap 19 fired up.

“When I made the start, straight away I realised that today was not our day,’ Mir explained on Sunday evening, despite having run at the front for two-thirds of the contest. “I start to have problems with the front, we were not making the front tyre in a good way.

“Every lap was worse and worse and worse and then my pace was not good. So we made the worst session in the weekend on the race and this is what makes me really disappointed.

“With the accident with Jack, yeah I think that is something that can happen,” he said simply. “We both go really on the limit and he was just too optimistic probably on that manoeuvre. But you know I made these mistakes in the past so I expect that he will learn from this mistake like I did and we move on to the next one.”

Handbags between Miller and Mir were quite the talking point at the end of last season, but the Spaniard is adamant there has never been an issue on his side.

“We never had any problem,’ the 24-year-old explained. “I think he lost the nerves and everything in Austin once but I never had any problem with Jack. Today was happening this but this can happen.

“I couldn’t be competitive today,” he reiterated. “Honestly. Because there was seven laps remaining and I know the conditions that I was and the risks that I had to take to stay on