Jack Miller still has honey on his lips after savoring victory twice in 2021. The Australian driver could not do more than finish fourth in the standings and 61 points behind his teammate Pecco Bagnaia, second.
However, ahead of the season-opening Qatar Grand Prix this weekend, Miller says he “can’t lose sight” of this year.
“I think it’s good to arrive a bit hungry, not to arrive like last year thinking that I’m going to win the championship after the winter test,” said the Aussie .
“I have to try to keep my feet on the ground, try to stay focused and understand that we still have a lot of work ahead of us,” he said. “The season is very long, it looks like we are going to have a more normal campaign this year, with a lot more races and a lot more travel.”
“We have to try to stay focused the whole time, we can’t lose sight of the goal,” Miller continued. “I think that’s going to be the most important thing to avoid mid-season lapses, but like I said, I’ve been very busy in these tests, putting in almost 80 laps every day. I feel good, I feel fit, I feel prepared”.
Ducati ‘s position in the 2022 pecking order remains a question mark after a fairly low-key pre-season testing phase, with the brand’s best rider at the end of the Indonesian test, Luca Marini, in third position in the overall.
Although the new Ducati has generally been met with praise from its riders, the main complaint seems to revolve around the bike’s aggressive acceleration.
However, Miller is confident that “the Ducatis will be strong” when the season kicks off in Qatar this weekend: “I think it’s definitely silly not to look at people like Enea Bastianini. Marini has been very fast too.” .
“The list goes on, the grid is so full this year that anyone can win in Qatar. Sure the Ducatis will be strong, but Qatar is a totally different matter,” he added.
“I’m calm, focused on what we have to do. But we have to face the weekend like any other, like we did last year,” concluded the Australian.
