Reigning MotoGP world champion Joan Mir has labelled his Doha Grand Prix clash with Jack Miller “over the limit”, laying blame squarely at the door of the Ducati racer.
Mir and Miller were fighting over fifth at the mid-point of the 22-lap contest at the Losail International Circuit, the former having moved ahead of the Ducati thanks to a bold move at Turn 10 to take the position.
The Suzuki man then ran wide at the final bend just seconds later, allowing Miller to slide through on the inside, though as Mir moved back on line Miller seemingly moved straight across into the side of the GSX-RR, causing the pair to lose momentum and drop to the lower reaches of the top ten.
Mir ultimately recovered to finish seventh while Miller took the chequered flag ninth, though the Spaniard wasn’t best pleased with Miller’s “dangerous” manoeuvre while talking post race.
“We had one touch in Turn 10, it was really difficult for me to overtake them (Ducatis) in any other place so I tried a risky manoeuvre, but I pushed him a bit out of the line and I tried to apologise with my leg but then I was wide at the last corner and he was inside me,” explained Mir.
“You always have to give space for the one that is coming and we both touched, it was a manoeuvre in my opinion that was over the limit and was really really dangerous so I hope it won’t happen again.”
Miller refuted that he was to blame for the incident, instead believing that Mir rejoined the racing line while he was already there, the combative Aussie adding that he was not going to “stand there and wave him through”
He went wide, came back onto the track and I was there so I’m not going to stand there and wave him through.
“Everyone saw the race so can see what happened, I’d rather not talk about it and focus on closing the gap to the front guys,” said Miller.
“It was very unfortunate (clash) but I was hit three times prior to that, but I’m not complaining it is what it is, he and Rins both went wide and I was there when he wanted to get back on the track.”
Miller explained that he had struggled with arm pump during the opening two encounters of the 2021 MotoGP campaign, and that he was looking to undergo surgery to try and cure the problem ahead of the next round of the series in Portiamo just two weeks away.
“We’re trying to book surgery (for arm pump) now to see if we can get operated on as soon as possible to speed up the recovery time but if not it is what it is,” continued Miller.
“I’ve suffered with it since the beginning of the season but with how compact this season is we’ll try and get something sorted.”
