Miller “tired” of comparing Ducati MotoGP bikes

Jack Miller says he is “tired” of comparing the 2022 Ducati MotoGP bike with the 2021 version that is currently leading the championship.

Ducati came into the new season as the favourite to fight for the title after a strong end to 2021 and the initial tests on the 2022 bike proving hugely encouraging.

But as the pre-season phase wore on, it became apparent that the 2022 Ducati wasn’t as competitive as the 2021-spec which Gresini Racing and VR46’s Marco Bezzecchi are using.

And after the first four races, Enea Bastianini has won twice on his 2021-spec Ducati and leads the championship, while the GP22 has managed a second and a third – with the leading GP22 runner seventh in the standings.

Following a wet Friday at the Portuguese Grand Prix, Miller – who is seventh in the standings and 30 points adrift of Bastianini – was asked how the GP22 compared to the GP21 in the rain, but said he was fed up of doing that.

“Define different,” he said. “Everything’s always different. The bike’s good, it’s working well.

“If I’m completely honest I’m tired of comparing the two because there’s no point in comparing the two.

“My bike for this year is the GP22, of course it’s going to be different.

“The whole point of it is to be different. But to compare that or try and take whatever is better about that bike [the GP21]… I mean, I rode that bike for two years, sure it feels good.

“But I’m not trying to think about that bike. I’m trying to think about the bike I’m riding this year and not lose energy on focusing on that bike.

“It’s a fantastic package we have and I think we can definitely get it better and better every time.

“So, we’re only four races in and we’ve had two top fives.

“Ok, there was a DNF in Qatar but I feel like we are shaking the bike out and starting to get the most out of it.