Australian Jack Miller may have lost the Moto3 championship, but the manner in which he conceded the title highlighted his potential moving into MotoGP.
Miller fought through the pack to take the win at the Valencia Grand Prix, showcasing his aggressive style that has impressed in the junior class.
But it wasn’t enough to secure the championship, in the end losing out to Alex Marquez, younger brother of MotoGP champ Marc Marquez.
Miller’s bitterness at the championship defeat was evident after the race, sulking on the podium despite the race win. Yet it’s this single-minded focus that will hold him in good stead in the main class.
In that sense, Miller seems to possess many of the qualities that took countrymen Wayne Gardner, Mick Doohan and Casey Stoner to world championships.
He has a hard-edged personality wired to win at any cost – just look at the manner in which he fought in Moto3, against a group of Europeans for whom success in the junior categories is about so much more than promotion into the main class.
Many in Australia didn’t like the way in which Miller acted after the race in Valencia. And that sort of “chip on the shoulder” attitude could divide fans back home, in much the same way that Stoner did in his battles with Valentino Rossi.
But this hard-nosed mentality is essential in sports such as MotoGP; so Euro-centric in its nature that outsiders such as Australians are often limited in terms of opportunities and looked down upon.
Miller will step up to MotoGP with the customer Honda Team LCR squad in 2015, fittingly the same team for whom Stoner debuted in the premier class.
Miller’s decision to buck the trend and skip the intermediary Moto2 class is undoubtedly a risk, but the opportunity to get into the premier class and take a few years to learn the surrounds with the blessing of a manufacturer such as Honda is an opportunity too good to miss.
It will be a surprise if Miller is competitive right away, as there is a steep learning curve ahead with the gap between the factory and customer bikes another limiting factor.
But the key for Miller will be how he handles that learning curve and the rate of improvement he can show in his rookie season.
We know he can ride, there’s no doubt about that. But the real challenge will be psychological, as he goes from fighting for a championship in one class to hoping to squeeze into the top 10 in another.
Stoner rose to this challenge in an era when a customer bike could contend for race wins. Miller enters MotoGP at a time when the factory bikes are even more dominant.
Nevertheless, Australia seems to have its next big motorbike-racing star. There was noticeable void left following Stoner’s premature retirement, prompting some to question whether there was a talent drain down under.
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