Jack Miller and his Pramak Yamaha team “threw a coin” and “big gamble” with abandoned medium rear tires for soft at the Qatar Motogpus Print on Saturday.
Like others who took the same risk, the move backfired earlier than expected – just 16th on the grid meant that the Australians felt “worthy of the shot.”
“I decided to go with soft rear tires today. It was a big gamble. I tossed a coin and it didn’t pay off,” Miller said. “I thought I might start to struggle after 8 or 9 laps, but by the fourth lap I was already in trouble, so I was honestly surprised.
“I didn’t think it was that bad. Maybe it was cool temperatures, sand, or something on the track. Still, even if I wanted to get rid of it a little more, it was worth the shot.
“I got off to a decent start, but I played safely on Turn 1 and ended up boxing, so I didn’t get much.
“I picked up a few riders on the first lap, but then there was some confusion along with Marini and Ogra, and I think Pecco was in the mix too.
“I found my rhythm and closed the gap, but as soon as I passed Marini, I began to suffer with corner entries – first at the last corner, and almost everywhere.
“I’ll be back to medium tyres tomorrow. If I can get off the line well, I think I can move forward.”
Miller slipped into 19th place with the flag, and in the evening, Monster Yamaha’s Fabio Quartarraro was fighting on a medium rear tire at the final podium spot.
“We’ve been working hard to get the better of our customers,” said Gino Borsoi, team director of Pramac. “Overall, this Qatari Grand Prix has proven to be a very interesting event.
“As highlighted in Jack’s crash yesterday, on the other hand, there are still some areas to improve.
“On the other hand, Yamaha has made a huge stride, as we saw with Quartarraro, who is fighting for the podium until the end of the sprint.
“Looking at the data, it’s clear that both Jack and August have strong possibilities. It’s only a matter of time before that possibility leads to the outcome.”
Augusto Fernandez replaced Miguel Oliveira, who was injured in the second event, and finished one place on a medium rear tire at the top of the mirror.
“For me, it wasn’t a bad sprint race,” he said. “I am improving my speed and pace, and I am starting to close the gap and get positions despite still facing my back.
“Today, I felt more like a proper race rider than just a test rider.
“I started working on the setup and adjusting my bike to a riding style that is important to me, not just for me but for Yamaha, to help me do more from the bike.”