Jack Miller was handed a penalty for driving slower than usual on the racing line during Saturday’s qualifying at Assen after crashing, with Maverick Viñales about to take him ahead while pushing on one of his fastest laps.
Despite Miller holding his own against the stewards, he was forced to serve a long lap in Sunday’s race, dropping him from sixth to 10th.
The Ducati rider was able to climb back to sixth position by the time the checkered flag was crossed, but was left out of the fight for fourth place in the last corner when Aleix Espargaró overtook him and Brad Binder in the same corner with a movement amazing.
“It was a good surprise to be there for the fight, considering the shitty call I got from the stewards,” Miller said, visibly angry.
“I didn’t give up until the end, I tried my best. I was able to catch Maverick (third, last podium position) but I made a little mistake trying to overtake him.”
“I got very close in the fast corner, my speed was higher at the exit and I was hoping that when he opened the throttle he would accelerate more, but he didn’t accelerate at all.
“So, I had to get the bike up really fast to avoid [the accident] and when I did, it started to move a lot.
“I’m very happy with the race until the last lap, because there I could have done things better, but that’s the way things are. We touched [with Binder], I had nowhere to go and I didn’t expect it, but it was my fault, I assume full responsibility for that.”
KTM’s Binder crossed the line fifth and also witnessed Espargaro double overtaking him and Miller , while downplaying contact with the Australian rider.
“I tried to pass Jack because it looked like he was having tire trouble or something, and on the last lap it looked like he was having throttle trouble as well,” Binder explained.
“I got right behind and went all out to overtake him. As soon as I got on the inside, I saw that he was very close to the edge of the apex [of the corner] and I saw the other bike.
“I helped myself with my leg and kind of tried to stay as close to him as possible, but obviously as soon as I got up I went right into Jack.”
“So, I was in the middle of a sandwich.”
“To be honest, I take my hat off to him [ Aleix Espargaró ]. He was warming up the ground to overtake Jack and somehow he surprised us both, it was fucking incredible,” he concluded.
