Jack Miller: KTM engineers “listen to everybody, not just one, that’s their job”
Jack M🦋iller explains how KTM are developing their 2024 bike at the MotoGP Sepa🍰ng test
168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Jack Miller insists that the ‘24 KTM will be developed from feedback f𝓰rom every rider, with nobody prioritised.
The addition ofಞ the highly-touted Pedro Acosta to the Tech3 GASGAS team - at the expense of Pol Eཧspargaro - has heightened the competition within the KTM ranks.
Acosta was notably third-fastest on the first day of MotoGP testing i♋n Sepang, while🌼 Brad Binder was 12th and Miller 18th.
Binder was the manufacturer’s top rider last year, he was the closestᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ to the title-chasing Ducati trio, but Miller insists that it’s a level playing field in terms of building their 2024 bike.
“The workload will always be there because we all try the same gear,” Miller said after the first day of testing in Sepan🐻g.
“But 🍃it helps to get four differ🌜ent inputs, six inputs with Dani Pedrosa and Pol.
“We have𝔉 a fantastic set-up now with great riders.
“They are not just listening to🐠 one, they listen to everybody.
“And trying to piece it together. That’s their job. To listꦜen to every riders’ feedback and to piece it together, to try and translate i🌸t into reality. They have been busy.”
KTM possess test rider Pedrosa - who shon🌠e as a wildcard last season - and demoted Espargaro from full-time racer to another test role. It is an unrivalled duo of non-racing riders who can help in developing the bike.
Miller entered the preseason Sepang𝔍 test revealing that he broke his scaphoid bone in a motocross accident over the Christmas period.
But he insꦯists 🔯that he didn’t feel it when riding in Sepang on Tuesday: “It felt good.
“My biggest concern, basically, was the angles. These 🦩bloody things, we touch everything on the ground nowadays.
“The wrist felt megꦿa from the get-go. That was a big sigh of relief for me.”
Miller rode🌄 his ‘23 and ‘24 bikes on🔯 the first of three days testing, trialling various “engine specs, aero specs, electronics specs”.
He said: “We played around a lot with the two bikes and different configurations. That’s the biggest thing now, trying to piec𝄹e it together before we get to Qatar.
“This is the m🙈ost crucial point of the area to understand the direction, 🥃and to make some big decisions.
“So, really, we’re just tryin✱g to take on as much work as possible, and to get through it as clearly and precisely as possible.”
A noticeable difference w𒅌as the very short exhaust, in place of the much🤡 longer version used last year.
“It looks 𓆏a lot nicer! It changes the engine ch🍨aracteristics,” Miller said.
“Always, ꦇwhen you play around with the exhaust pipes. People have been doing it since there was an engine built, basically.
“When you play wit🧸h the exhaust pipe length… they obviously found something 🧔in their data to say that this is the direction we should be working in.”
Miller summarised his Tuesday testing: “Da𒅌y 1, busy first day for me, 69 laps. The boys brought plenty of items for me to try, and to play arไound with.
“The bike is working really well, it felt 𓂃really good. We hit the ground running.
“I tried a🃏 time attack in the afternoon but didn’t get what I wanted. It’s testi💎ng. We’ll keep plugging away at it.
“I’m happy with the direction that we’re going with the bike in terms of everyt꧒hing - engine, electronics, aero.
“The b✤oওys had a really busy winter and did a fantastic job.
“69 laps today, the body is feelin🍃g pretty knackered, I was cramping up at the end! I’ll sleep well tonight.”
Miller will return on We🅷🧸dnesday for the second of three days.
Ja🅰mes was a sports journalist at Sky Sport🍬s for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
