The Catalan GP, the seventh round of the 2021 MotoGP World Championship, ended with another podium for Jack Miller, who, with the third place today in the race, brings to three the number of podiums scored so far this season alongside the two wins at Jerez and Le Mans.
The Australian rider, who departed from the front row of the grid from second place, took an early lead after the start, but he eventually dropped back after a few laps. Despite this, Miller continued to ride at a consistent pace, managing the tyre wear and waiting until the race’s final stages to try to get closer to the podium. Fourth with nine laps to go, Jack got behind the Desmosedici GP of Johann Zarco, with whom he was able to catch first Mir and then Quartararo. The latter was first overtaken by the Pramac Racing Team rider and then went wide between Turn 1 and Turn 2, cutting the chicane to rejoin. Because of this mistake, the Frenchman had to serve a three-second penalty, which saw him drop back to fourth at the end of the race and hand the third step of the podium to Miller, who was right behind him at the finish line.
Francesco Bagnaia ended a difficult race in seventh place. As he started from the third row, from ninth place, the Italian suffered the consequences of his tyre choice, which saw him struggle during the race. After dropping back to twelfth after the start, Pecco finally secured seventh place and other important points for the overall standings, which currently sees him fourth with 88 points. After today’s race, Miller moved up to third place, 28 points behind leader Quartararo. At the same time, Ducati and the Ducati Lenovo Team remain in second place in the constructors’ and teams’ standings.
Jack Miller (#43 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 3rd
“Today, it was crucial to gain some points on Quartararo! In the race, I managed the rear tyre well, while the front tyre was a little overheated all the time, but we still managed to have some great battles. On the last lap, I was very close to Quartararo, and I would have had another chance to pass him, but I saw him cut the chicane, and I knew he would have had to take a penalty because he had gained a lot of time there. So, I tried to stay as close to him as possible and not make any mistakes to secure third place. This is the first time I’ve been on the podium at Montmeló, and I’m thrilled with this result, both for the whole team and for me!”
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 7th
“Unfortunately, my race today was affected by our tyre choice. We wanted to try the medium, but unfortunately, it did not turn out to be the best solution. I tried to manage the consumption until the end, but I never felt completely comfortable. It was a difficult weekend, and we finished seventh. Now we have to stay focused and try to get back to fighting for the top positions starting from the next race”.
