Jack Miller began the Austrian MotoGP race inside the top four and finished it with lap times good enough for the top six.
But, unfortunately for the Australian, looking to build on fifth and top KTM in the Sprint, a mid-race crash left him out of the points in 19th.
Miller was ‘nursing’ his rear tyre early in the grand prix when he was passed by team-mate Brad Binder and VR46’s Marco Bezzecchi.
Disaster struck when Miller, who said he hadn’t felt contact from Marc Marquez a lap earlier, lost the front into the chicane on lap 11 of 28.
“Not the way we wanted the day to go, but I got a better start and we went with a softer map today. I was nursing the bike at the beginning and sacrificing a little bit but I was comfortable,” Miller explained.
“I had the bike pretty mellow, especially off Turns 3 and 5. Just trying to save the right-hand side of the rear tyre. So I was yo-yoing a little bit, but trying to stay in the fight and play the long game. But I didn’t get there in the end.
“I came in [to the chicane] a little bit hot, the front started bouncing and that was that. But I was able to pick the bike up, remount and get going.
“I didn’t give up and kept pushing until the end. I wish we could have stayed on it, that’s for certain, because I felt really strong at the end of the race.”
Miller lost 20 seconds on the lap he fell which, if taken off his race time, would have put him in seventh place. But that’s without taking into account the damage he was carrying for the remaining 17 laps.
“The bike was behaving pretty well considering she had a bent handlebar, some broken wings and whatnot,” Miller said. “But the tyre stayed in really well and we were one of the fastest bikes on track for the last six laps.
“So I’m left with that ‘what could have been’, but nonetheless it was nice to be competitive again this weekend. It’s been a big boost in the confidence.”
Binder claimed top KTM honours in fifth place, but 18.620s behind race winner Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati).
