Miller: “KTM has the best test rider on the grid”, Binder also praises Pedrosa

What was a stunning performance from Pedrosa, was met with an even greater achievement for the entire KTM project as Brad Binder won his second MotoGP Sprint race of the season, while Miller also claimed a podium in third. 

All three KTM riders produced sizzling pace in what were the hottest track temperatures of the season so far.

• Brad Binder at full “steering lock a few times, happy if I never go in that sideways again” 
• Marquez: “It was past the limit”, Morbidelli: “I wasn’t trying to overtake"

Pedrosa set multiple fastest laps, while Miller and Binder were 1-2 for much of the restarted Sprint race.

"Dani [Pedrosa] is doing an amazing job," said Miller. "The experience he has around this track has helped us and looking at his data has helped us. 

"For him to be P6 in today’s Sprint after not racing in a fair bit of time; I think we have the best test rider on the grid.

"We have a different set-up - I’m nearly 30 kilos heavier than him so everything is a little bit different, electronics are also different, but I think it’s a combination of the last races we’ve had. 

"In Portimao we were strong towards the end of the weekend and the same in the last couple. For me, I hit the ground running here. 

"When you kind of know what to expect with grip levels and you can start with a decent base and slowly polish it up to what we had today. Hopefully we can polish it up a little bit more tomorrow."

Binder also spoke about the influence of Pedrosa, after the highly decorated Spaniard showed that he can still mix it at the front of MotoGP at the age of 37.

Binder stated: "Dani has definitely done a few laps testing here. But for sure, the way we started at the beginning of the weekend was how we finished in America. 

"He’s got a few different things going on and Monday we get to test what he’s been testing. Dani did an unreal job this whole weekend. 

"You can never forget how many times this guy has won and he’s more than special. There’s a lot to learn from him. He’s definitely the best test rider anyone could ask for."

For Miller, the Sprint at Jerez was another strong indication that his adaptation to KTM has gone smoother than expected.  

"Really happy with how the bike has been working all weekend," said Miller after his first podium for the team. "It’s kind of the first weekend where we’ve hit the ground running and it’s shown."