Miller won’t know if arm surgery total success until Jerez
Ducati MotoGP rider Jack Miller admits he won’t know until the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez in two weeks’ time if his recent arm surgery was a “massive success”.
The Australian went under the knife in Barcelona last week, following the Doha GP, to have surgery on an arm pump issue which flared up during the second Qatar race.
Miller’s issue meant he emerged from the second round of the 2021 season in ninth, having finished in the same position in the Qatar GP as a result of a tyre issue.
The Ducati rider’s operation was deemed a success at the time and he hasn’t struggled with it so far during the Portuguese GP weekend.
However, he admits he won’t know if his arm pump issue has truly been resolved until he tests it through the fast right-hand corners at Jerez at the end of the month.
“I feel good, the arm is feeling good already even after the surgery pretty much directly,” Miller said on Friday after finishing practice fifth overall.
“I was able to do all the training I needed to do during the week.
“You never know until you get on the bike, but it feels really good, I feel powerful in my hand and there’s no ill-effects from that.
“I think I’m at 100%. But like I said in the lead up, we won’t really know if the surgery was a massive success, I don’t think, until we get to Jerez where it’s more right-handers.
“It’s the fast right-handers where I seem to struggle, but I’m happy to be here, happy to be healthy and you ride around this track with a massive smile on your face every time. It just feels mega to be here.”
Friday’s practices in Portugal were notable for the return of six-time MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez, who ended up 0.004 seconds away from Miller in sixth on the timesheets - admitting he 'didn't understand' his practice speed.
Miller admits seeing Marquez smile in his garage “made me smile” and believes his return will “elevate all of our levels”.
“We all know how extremely talented this guy is and the things he does on a motorcycle, you watch the session and you see him do some things and you think ‘how did he pull that off?’,” he said of Marquez.
“Even today, and I think he was riding with some margin today.
“For me it made me smile watching him smile in the garage, because you know how much this sport means to him and it means to all of us. It’s the thing we love and if you can’t do it for nine months, that would be not an easy thing.
“To see him back out there doing the thing he loves and the thing he’s best at is fantastic for all of us and I think it will elevate all of our level.”
Related video
Previous article
Portuguese MotoGP: Quartararo fastest in FP3, Marquez to Q1
Next article
Jorge Martin set for surgery after violent MotoGP practice crash
About this article
| Series | MotoGP |
| Event | Portugal GP |
| Drivers | Jack Miller |
| Author | Lewis Duncan |
How Jerez underlined MotoGP's speed problem
The brutal nature of a series of crashes at Jerez has reopened the debate about whether current MotoGP speeds are beyond the safety limits of the tracks. But even if riders are supportive of the move, getting the manufacturers to find a consensus on how speed reductions should be achieved may be altogether harder
How a Crutchlow helped Miller to Jerez MotoGP redemption
Jack Miller’s tough start to life as a factory Ducati MotoGP rider left him mentally battered and bruised, but a pep talk and positive reinforcement from a surprising source aided the Australian to show his full potential with victory at the Spanish Grand Prix
What does Marc Marquez have to do to get back to his best?
Following his resounding MotoGP return with a seventh place finish in Portugal, Marc Marquez now must work to rediscover his best form before turning his attention towards results-based targets
How Yamaha's rookie-spec MotoGP star is taking charge
Fabio Quartararo is on a roll in 2021 after storming to victory at a venue five months earlier served up one of his worst races. Contrasting Portuguese GPs for Yamaha's factory duo make it hard to understand just how good its 2021 MotoGP bike is, but the Portimao weekend did at least expose one key improvement compared to 2020
The hurdles Marquez faces next in his Portugal MotoGP return
Even by Marc Marquez’s own high standards, his MotoGP comeback on Friday at the Portuguese Grand Prix will be considered a success even if he didn’t top the times. But having shown competitive pace on his first day back, both Marquez and his rivals know plenty more challenges are to come...
Where does Espargaro sit ahead of Marquez's return?
Pol Espargaro’s first results as a Honda MotoGP rider may not appear special. But dig a little deeper and a clearer picture of his performance emerges. And, as Lewis Duncan writes, it’s cause for celebration at Honda with the return of Marc Marquez set to provide Espargaro with the reference he has been missing so far this year
The "pit bull" MotoGP rookie already drawing legendary comparisons
MotoGP’s 2021 rookie crop is one of the strongest in recent years, but one is already standing out. Jorge Martin’s Doha GP heroics have courted many to compare him to numerous MotoGP legends. Autosport spoke to Pramac boss Francesco Guidotti to find out why MotoGP’s latest Spanish star is already making such an impact
Why MotoGP's stewards must revisit Miller and Mir's Losail clash
Despite Suzuki’s decision not to appeal against Race Direction’s refusal to penalise Jack Miller following the incident with Joan Mir in Losail, something must be done to avoid a repeat of such an incident, which could have easily ended in tragedy
