Ducati’s Jack Miller edged out team mate Francesco Bagnaia to claim his first MotoGP win in five years at the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez on Sunday.
Australia’s Miller used his Ducati’s power to pip pole-sitter Fabio Quartararo off the start line, with the Frenchman slipping to fourth behind Petronas Yamaha SRT’s Franco Morbidelli and Bagnaia on the opening lap.
Quartararo, who won both the races in Jerez last season, recovered over the next two laps to regain the lead and began to stretch his advantage to up to two seconds at the top.
However, the Yamaha rider was struck with an arm-pump problem that saw his pace drop significantly, allowing Miller to regain the lead with less than 10 laps remaining.
As Miller continued to build his advantage to over 1.5 seconds, Quartararo plummeted down the order as he was overhauled by his championship rivals.
“I had a big issue with the arm, so sad because I was feeling really easy in the front,” Quartararo, who finished 13th, told reporters.
Source: CNA