Jack Miller “comfortable sideways” on KTM, Ducati “didn’t like it”

Both RC16 riders were repeatedly getting their bikes out of shape under hard braking, in contrast to the more wheels-in-line technique of their rivals.

Miller explained that the ability to slide into the corner was a crucial ‘tool’, helping to take weight off the front and aiding passes on the brakes.

KTM celebrated a double podium with both its riders at Jerez, with 1-2 finishes for Binder and 2-3 for new signing Miller.

• Alvaro Bautista to test Ducati MotoGP bike, will he race?
• Mir: "Quartararo didn't deserve a penalty"
• Miguel Oliveira withdraws from French MotoGP, replacement confirmed

“I feel very comfortable with the bike going sideways in braking,” said Miller after his fourth race weekend with the Austrian team. “With the Ducati, I could not really do this [even] if I wanted to. It was a really stable bike and you couldn't really get it to slide.

“Having the opportunity to be able to slide the bike when you want is like another tool in your pocket.

“As we saw on the weekend, especially nowadays with the front tyre temperature coming up and needing to try and pass people, having a bike that you can use the rear tyre as well to stop the bike is a massive tool in your pocket.”

But Miller emphasised that the KTM works well with a variety of styles.

“You don't need to ride the bike like that. Dani [Pedrosa] doesn't ride the bike like that. It's just Brad and myself. It’s what we've always done and it works,” Miller said.

“It's nice to have that freedom again because my general riding style was like this and in Ducati, I couldn't do it.

“[The Ducati] didn't like too much negative spin in the rear. But there are so many different things [with the KTM] - the WP suspension, steel chassis.

“The KTM is a KTM and it does what it does very well. And the Ducati is what it is, and does its things very well. So we just try to take our positives and try to work on our negatives.”

Binder: I don't plan to slide that much!

Binder, who passed Miller with a thrilling knee-down slide into Turn 6 during the Sprint race, was asked if this year’s KTM responds better to that kind of aggressive style than in the past:

“It's got a little bit less grip on entry than last year’s, and I don't plan to slide that much! But unfortunately sometimes if you're not stopping the only way to really get the thing to the apex is to jam the rear brake and just try and scrub the speed to the corner,” Binder replied.

“Normally I wouldn't slide that much, but the reality is if you go [wide] to the middle of the track and cut back. You've lost those 2-3 tenths that you worked so hard to try and find. So if can just kind of scrub the speed off, even if it does go a little bit too sideways, it's always better to hit the apex.”

Meanwhile, not only is KTM the only manufacturer running a steel frame rather than aluminium, but they also use their own in-house WP suspension instead of Ohlins.

“Loving it. Fantastic, can't fault it in any way, shape or form,” Miller said of the suspension, before admitting it had been a ‘question mark’ after using Ohlins at Honda and Ducati.

“That was definitely one of the bigger question marks, my whole MotoGP career has been on Ohlins, so how will I adapt to the WP? And I can happily say that it's unreal.”

Pressed on what he likes most, the Australian added: “We get a very close relationship with them, as you can imagine. Being the only guys on [WP], they're pushing proper hard and we're working in other areas that everybody else on the grid isn't.”

Miller: Starts? Some guys get in their head a little bit much

Aside from their sideways style, the other eye-catching performance from the KTM was the way both Miller and Binder blasted off the line during the four race starts (due to the red flags).

“Nothing's changed, to be honest,” said Binder. “I think the guys have got the launch control working very well, clearly. And starts have always been my strong point as well.

“It's great to have in your pocket. Because when you qualify at the back, normally you need a good start. So I think it's something I've always had to really rely on. So it works in my favour.”

Miller also felt strong starts are more down to the rider than the machine.

“Our bike works well, but some guys get in their head a little bit too much. Generally, when I was at Ducati, it was the same comment by the same riders, saying that the Ducati launch device was much better than everybody else,” Miller said. “And now I'm at KTM we're in a similar position.

“Generally I knew when I was on the Ducati that if I was starting on the first or second row, I could holeshot it. It's not so much about the start itself, it's your timing and how you approach the start, I think, more than anything.”

In an apparent reference to Aprilia’s pole starter Aleix Espargaro, Miller, who qualified in second, said:

“One guy on the weekend, for example, every single start was more worried about me coming up his inside than worrying about his own start. So if you're already thinking about what the guy behind you is going to do off the start, you're at a disadvantage in my opinion.”

Binder and Miller are now third and fourth in the world championship, respectively, heading into next weekend’s French MotoGP at Le Mans.