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Jack Miller isn’t very pleased with how his first season riding the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team’s RC16 went. When he transferred to the Austrian constructor’s official team after five years as a Ducati rider, the 28-year-old Australian had an excellent start in the championship, with a third place in the Spanish GP and two more podiums in the Sprint Races in Jerez and Germany. But these were the only significant results Jack achieved, as he struggled to realize the potential he demonstrated on the KTM, ending the season in 11th place in the championship standings.
“What would I give myself from one to ten? Five. Because we wanted more. As a rider, if you don’t win every race, you want more and more. We did some things well, but there are some areas where I wanted to do better,” the Townsville native admitted when he took stock of 2023 in an interview with Motosan. “Jerez was a fantastic weekend for all of us. But I also did very well in the first race of the championship in Portimão. I was also very fast in the United States. I felt I could challenge Alex Rins for the victory of the race. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. I fell too early. I thought it would be better than it was, but I fell or made other mistakes.That’s why I think a five is a fair vote. Not too much, not too little.”
Miller: “I’m getting stronger, physically and mentally”
Adapting to the RC16 was quicker than expected, but it wasn’t a simple process for Miller, who had to work hard to tailor the KTM to himself.
“I didn’t feel at ease in the pre-season tests. I was learning and spending hours understanding the bike, what I needed to change in my riding to adapt, and what I needed to change on the bike to better suit my style. I worked hard over the winter, trying to understand the bike more and more and make it my own. We were able to do it quickly, so we can say that we’ve reached the max,” Jack, who had a big impact on developing the RC16, said.
“All you have to do is take a photo of my bike from last year and compare it with this year’s to understand how much we’ve influenced it. They’re almost the same in terms of geometry,” he commented. “Obviously, the components are still in the KTM style but, to be able to compete at the level reached by the MotoGP in 2023, this was the direction we had to go in, especially with regard to aerodynamics. To be able to compete against eight Ducatis, you need something to fight against them with.”
Although some riders aren’t very happy about the introduction of the Sprint Races, which have doubled the seasonal races, Jack isn’t intimidated by the 2024 calendar and relaunches the challenge for the upcoming championship.
“I’m tired now, but I’m paid for this, to ride these bikes forty-four times a year. That’s what I like to do and, for me, the more races we do, the faster the season ends,” Jack said, convinced that he can still make great progress. “The results may not reflect that, but I feel that I’m improving every year, and I’m getting stronger, physically and mentally. I’m twenty-eight. I feel like my best years are yet to come. This happens with maturity, with work, and with strategy, in general. I’ve learned from my mistakes, which are things you can remember and use in order to be a better person.”
