Miller accepts blame after initially raging at Bastianini for practice incident
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Indonesian MotoGP, Mandalika – Friday Practice ResultsThe KTM rider fell twice during Friday practice at Mandalika but was still ninth-fastest, with Aleix Espargaro topping the timesheets.Miller’s session was punctuated by his second fall when he caught Bastianini, who was moving slowly and, at one stage, held his hand in the air. Miller clambered back onto his feet in the gravel and gesticulated angrily at Bastianini but later accepted the blame.“I don’t like to talk about that too much because it’s not what we want,” he said.“Eventful afternoon, to say the least! A couple of leather suits, a couple of fairings, but at least [I am in] Q2.“The bike feels good. I had good confidence with it. The first was a silly one.
“I was on a good lap. Enea was on the apex. I tipped in a little later, was on the dirty shit, and I lost the front.“The second one was my fault. I was struggling all session, a little bit, to stop the bike at Turn 1, to control the speed.”Factory Ducati rider Bastianini insisted the incident was not his fault, adding: “I had a problem with the throttle. I put my hand up. I was out of the line. He ed.”Miller continued: “The first flying lap was my best one. I was a little bit long, there, and missed the apex.Related Jack Miller: Acosta? KTM should have been allowed a fifth bike “Atmosphere not comfortable” at KTM as they prep crucial rider line-up decision“Then because I was coming in a little bit fast, I released. I said: ‘Okay, next one, I will try to commit and really force the bike at the apex’.“She said ‘no more’ once I got to the apex.“Anyway, the bike is working well. We have really good drive, really good grip, on the rear. It’s just about playing with the balance and getting some of the grip to the front end.”Bastianini ‘destroyed mentally’
Bastianini returned to action at Mandalika from hand and ankle fractures, the latest comeback in an injury-ravaged first year as a factory Ducati rider.He ed out of Friday practice leaving him 20th on the timesheet, ahead of only Alex Rins.”I am destroyed mentally,” he said in reference to being fatigued after Friday. “In the end, I am okay. I haven’t got a lot of pain in my hand, and my foot is okay.”I was fast from the start. In FP2, a little less. -apart, I am happy.”I ed in the out-lap. I don’t understand what happened. I was a little tired at the end of the session.”Lap by lap I was competitive. It was good. With the soft tyres, my lap time was the same. This is strange, we have to try again tomorrow, we have to understand the tyre better.”The only difference to the bike was the front tyre.”Asked if he was confident in completing the weekend, Bastianini said: “Next question! I don’t know! I hope I can do this. I don’t know if I can do great laps for the whole race. Probably yes but it’s not guaranteed.”
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