Pramac Ducati rider says the French Grand Prix was “maybe the most convincing race” of his MotoGP career, after the Australian crossed the line six seconds off the win in fourth.
Miller has enjoyed a strong start to his maiden campaign as a Ducati rider, finishing every race so far inside the top 10, with a brace of fourth-place finishes in Argentina – where he started from pole – and at Le Mans the highlight so far.
Miller made his way through on factory Ducati rider Jorge Lorenzo – whom he is in the frame to replace for 2019 – by mid-distance, having started seventh, and closed down Yamaha's Valentino Rossi to finish just a second away from the podium.
While acknowledging nothing “feels like that [debut] win” at Assen in 2016, Miller concedes that was the result of unusual circumstances, and says his dry Le Mans result last Sunday was “completely on merit”.
“For me, this was a pretty big result,” Miller, now sixth in the standings, began in his blog on redbull.com. “Could be better, could be worse.
“But all things considered, maybe this was the most convincing race of my career in MotoGP. I know, what about Assen 2016, I can here you saying it.
“There's never going to anything that feels like that win, but it was raining, guys crashed out, etc, etc. I was fourth this year in Argentina when I was on pole and pretty frustrated to be off the podium.
“But that was a weird race with that start, and everything that went on. This one in France was different.
“Less than a second off the podium, six seconds off the win, a dry and normal day, no random stuff happening. Completely on merit.
“All weekend I had good pace, and I was more hopeful of that rather than expecting it because Le Mans hadn't been great for me in MotoGP, of for Ducati in the past – this is normally a Yamaha track.
“But I was within half a second of the session-leading time in every session except first practice, and never out of the top 10 after FP1. Qualified seventh, was fourth in the morning warm-up; it was a result there to get.”
Miller also commented on the new rules surrounding race starts which will be introduced at Mugello to avoid a repeat of the events that unfolded in Argentina.
Dubbed the 'Miller Rule', the Australian is disappointed such rules weren't already in place, but is glad “it's all sorted for next time”.
“If you choose the right tyre on the sighting lap and everyone else comes in, then there's more of a price to pay,” he added.
“Like what happened in Argentina, except for the price to pay bit. Would have been handy to have had that on that day (I probably would have been in front by 30 seconds onf the first lap), but at least it's sorted out for next time – and there'll probably be a next time.”
