Jack Miller and Fabio Quartararo have traded barbs on media over a collision early in the Indonesian Grand Prix.
Ducati rider Jack Miller and reigning MotoGP World champion Fabio Quartararo have traded barbs on media over a collision early in the Indonesian Grand Prix.
Quartararo qualified on pole, but appeared to be struggling in the wet conditions at Mandalika after the race was delayed for more than an hour due to rain and thunderstorms.
Meanwhile, Miller was in the lead by the end of the second lap, despite starting eighth on his Ducati Lenovo Team machine.
After Quartararo had broken into wheelspin leaving Turn 17 at the other end of the main straight, he overtook the #20 Monster Energy Yamaha for second place at the start of Lap 2.
Then, according to Miller, the 2021 world champion Quartararo rode into the side of him as he made the pass at Turn 1, causing him to become enraged after the race.
“Well, it wasn’t a fight…I just passed him and he rode his motorcycle into the side of my leg, quite clearly like he did to Johann [Zarco],” the Factory Ducati rider said.
“I don’t think it’s necessary when someone passes you to immediately accelerate towards their front tyre. I will quite happily have a word with him about this because it’s not on.”
“As we saw with Johann, you pass ‘okay, that’s fine’, the Yamaha turns well ‘okay’, but that doesn’t mean you open the gas and aim for the front tyre.”
“I don’t think that’s fair. He rode into the side of my leg and I clearly had better pace at that point in time.”
“I came from ninth on the grid and was faster than him. It was just an unnecessary risk at that early stage of the race to be running into my leg.”
Quartararo acknowledged that contact occurred, but said it was unintended and insignificant. The Frenchman shifted the focus back to Miller, adding that #43 is aggressive as well.
“I don’t care… I don’t care because he’s the one in the past that has some aggressive moves,” the Monster Energy Yamaha rider declared.
“I think my move was also not aggressive; just I didn’t expect to touch.”
“My touch was not something big, it was a really small touch and I don’t know if he watched on TV, but he better watch because I did nothing wrong.”
Quartararo had not talked to Miller at the time of the remark, but he was well aware that the Ducati rider was not pleased.
“He was talking to me on the bike but I couldn’t hear anything, but he was not happy,” Quartararo recounted.
“But I didn’t make any strange moves like I attacked him so bad or not.”
“He just overtook me in Turn 1 and I saw he was going wide and I just crossed the line.”
“So, I would also like to have the comments from other riders on if it was a non-respect[ful] move or not.”
“From my point of view, if I make a bad move, I say sorry, but that one I have nothing to say.”
Quartararo battled his way back to second place at the finish, 2.2 seconds behind Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Miguel Oliveira.
Miller, on the other hand, faded slightly and finished fourth, just behind Pramac Racing’s Zarco, at the checkered flag.
After a terrible performance in the Qatar Grand Prix, Quartararo is now third in the standings, just three points behind the leader with just two races into the 2022 MotoGP season
Miller is now 11th in the rankings after failing to finish at Lusail due to an electronics issue. On April 1-3, the Argentina Grand Prix will be held at the Termas de Rio Hondo track (local time).
