AUSSIE MotoGP star Jack Miller was buoyant after a promising debut on the Pramac Ducati during testing at Sepang.
Miller finished the final of three days of track time as the fifth-fastest rider, even after crashing out early, in hot and sometimes wet conditions at the Malaysian circuit.
The 23-year-old Queenslander has joined Ducati after three years with Honda to partner Italian Danilo Petrucci in 2018. His teammate was 10th fastest at Sepang.
Miller clocked 1 min 59.346 sec, just over half a second behind Ducati factory rider Jorge Lorenzo (1:58.830), ahead of Honda riders Dani Pedrosa and Cal Crutchlow.
It gives the young star, now in his fourth year in the premier class, encouragement going into the next testing in Thailand from February 16 to 18.
“I’m really very satisfied with these first test,’’ Miller said. The feeling with the bike is really good and I think we still have some margin to explore here and there.
“Great couple of days testing, can’t wait to get back on it in Thailand,’’ he said. His Ducati team described Miller’s 36-lap performance on Tuesday as “extraordinary”.
Many teams including the factory Honda outfit tested aerodynamic wings on their bikes.
Lorenzo set his fastest ever lap on the track, while reigning world champion Marc Marquez was seventh fastest, riding without the aero fairing on the third day. Yamaha legend Valentino Rossi was seventh fastest.
Testing will continue in Thailand and then Qatar on March 1-3. The first race will be in Qatar under lights on March 18.
