Miller won’t know if arm surgery total success until Jerez
Ducati MotoGP rider Jack Miller admits he won’t know until the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez in two weeks’ time if his recent arm surgery was a “massive success”.
The Australian went under the knife in Barcelona last week, following the Doha GP, to have surgery on an arm pump issue which flared up during the second Qatar race.
Miller’s issue meant he emerged from the second round of the 2021 season in ninth, having finished in the same position in the Qatar GP as a result of a tyre issue.
The Ducati rider’s operation was deemed a success at the time and he hasn’t struggled with it so far during the Portuguese GP weekend.
However, he admits he won’t know if his arm pump issue has truly been resolved until he tests it through the fast right-hand corners at Jerez at the end of the month.
“I feel good, the arm is feeling good already even after the surgery pretty much directly,” Miller said on Friday after finishing practice fifth overall.
“I was able to do all the training I needed to do during the week.
“You never know until you get on the bike, but it feels really good, I feel powerful in my hand and there’s no ill-effects from that.
“I think I’m at 100%. But like I said in the lead up, we won’t really know if the surgery was a massive success, I don’t think, until we get to Jerez where it’s more right-handers.
“It’s the fast right-handers where I seem to struggle, but I’m happy to be here, happy to be healthy and you ride around this track with a massive smile on your face every time. It just feels mega to be here.”
Friday’s practices in Portugal were notable for the return of six-time MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez, who ended up 0.004 seconds away from Miller in sixth on the timesheets - admitting he 'didn't understand' his practice speed.
Miller admits seeing Marquez smile in his garage “made me smile” and believes his return will “elevate all of our levels”.
“We all know how extremely talented this guy is and the things he does on a motorcycle, you watch the session and you see him do some things and you think ‘how did he pull that off?’,” he said of Marquez.
“Even today, and I think he was riding with some margin today.
“For me it made me smile watching him smile in the garage, because you know how much this sport means to him and it means to all of us. It’s the thing we love and if you can’t do it for nine months, that would be not an easy thing.
“To see him back out there doing the thing he loves and the thing he’s best at is fantastic for all of us and I think it will elevate all of our level.”
Related video
Portuguese MotoGP: Quartararo fastest in FP3, Marquez to Q1
Jorge Martin set for surgery after violent MotoGP practice crash
Why Honda and Yamaha have been left behind in MotoGP's new era
OPINION: The once all-conquering Japanese manufacturers are going through a difficult period in MotoGP this season. With Suzuki quitting, Honda struggling to get near the podium and Yamaha only enjoying success courtesy of Fabio Quartararo, Japanese manufacturers have been left in the dust by their European counterparts. This is why.
How in-form Quartararo is evoking Marquez in MotoGP 2022
OPINION: Fabio Quartararo has seized control of the 2022 MotoGP world standings after another dominant victory as his nearest rivals faltered. And he is very much heading towards a second championship echoing how the dominator of the last decade achieved much of his success.
Why Marquez's surgery is about more than just chasing on-track success
OPINION: Marc Marquez will likely sit out the remainder of the 2022 MotoGP season to undergo a fourth major operation on the right arm he badly broke in 2020. It is hoped it will return him to his brilliant best after a tough start to the season without a podium to his name. But it’s the human victory that will far outweigh any future on-track success he may go on to have
Why Ducati holds all the power in its MotoGP rider dilemma
OPINION: The French Grand Prix looks to have made Ducati’s decision on its factory team line-up simpler, as Enea Bastianini stormed to his third win of the campaign and Jorge Martin crashed out for a fifth time in 2022. But, as Ducati suggests to Motorsport.com, it remains in the strongest position in a wild rider market
The seismic aftershock of Suzuki's decision to leave MotoGP
Suzuki's sudden decision to leave the MotoGP World Championship at the end of the season has acted as a stirring element in a market that had already erupted. We analyse what this means for the grid going into 2023
How the real Ducati began to emerge in MotoGP's Spanish GP
Ducati’s 2022 MotoGP bike has had a tough start to life and the expected early-season title charge from Francesco Bagnaia did not materialise. But the Spanish Grand Prix signalled a turning point for both the GP22 and Bagnaia, as the 2021 runner-up belatedly got his season underway after a straight fight with Fabio Quartararo
How praise for Honda's MotoGP bike has given way to doubt
In a little over two months, Honda has gone from setting the pace in MotoGP testing with its new RC213V prototype to being at a crossroads - caused by the discrepancy in its riders' feedback. After a Portuguese GP that underwhelmed, serious questions are now being asked of Honda in 2022
Why Quartararo's win was vital not only for his title hopes
Fabio Quartararo got his MotoGP title defence off the ground in the Portuguese Grand Prix as a dominant first win of 2022 rocketed him to the top of the standings. While a significant result in terms of his title hopes, it has come at an even more important time in terms of his 2023 contract negotiations