Jack Miller sandbagging theory about Marc Marquez in Sepang
Pramac Yamaha rider shares theory about factory Ducatis
Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia are withholding their true performance after Day 2 in Sepang, Jack Miller has hinted.
The factory Ducati pair - arguably the favourites for the 2025 MotoGP championship - were 14th and fifth on Thursday’s timesheets in preseason testing, partly owing to a crash each.
New Pramac Yamaha rider Miller has kept an eye on what they were doing.
“The red boys seem to be keeping their powder dry, at this point,” Miller hinted.
“I’m sure they’ve got a few softs up their sleeve, to throw at it tomorrow.
“We have softs up our sleeve too.”
Of course, every MotoGP rider and team at Sepang for the three-day preseason test will be prioritising bike development above sheer performance.
But there is nevertheless a keen interest in how Marquez and Bagnaia fare, particularly against each other.
Friday, the final day of testing until Buriram next week, could offer a fresh clue of how they match up.
Jack Miller adapting to Yamaha
New Pramac Yamaha rider Miller is pleased with his ongoing adaptation since leaving KTM.
“I finished today with a time attack, and was happy with my lines, with how I rode, with how the bike behaved,” he said on Thursday.
“We made a step today with me being comfortable and consistent.
“There are changes to make to the map to allow more power.”
Miller added: “I feel good, I feel more and more at home every time I exit.
“We’re in the process of understanding what to do with the map, how to approach the time attack.
“The bike is giving me confidence. We’re in the building process.
“I’m really happy with the work, the boys have been busting their arses every night to build new bikes and configurations.
“We will try to find more tomorrow. I feel there is some time left out on the track, in terms of my riding.
“If we can modify the map, we can close the gap more. We will keep chasing the carrot.”
Miller noted one important area which must be improved - the electronics.
“They need work,” he admitted. “But they’re working hard on that, in terms of the strategy and the programme for the engineers to make adjustments.
“It’s not the easiest programme to use, in terms of adjustments corner-by-corner or gear-by-gear.
“They know that. They’re working to improve the speed of reaction.”
Quotes provided by Peter McLaren in Sepang
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
