Jack Miller rotates KTM, crosswind “legend in some corners, beginner in others!"

Just as on Sunday at the Sachsenring, the Australian was the top non-Ducati but this time just 0.155s behind VR46’s Marco Bezzecchi, with Pramac’s German Grand Prix winner Jorge Martin in between.

“Happy enough with the day, steady start, but we were able to find our feet relatively quickly,” Miller said. “We changed the bike, quite a big step today, just trying to work on the issues that we had in Sachsenring and Mugello.

“In the high-speed corners I was not having as much rear contact, and missing a little bit of drive grip once the bike was sat up and moving.

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“My whole career I've ridden a bike that's very down in the front, compared to a lot of the other guys that ride the bike, whether it's Ducati or Honda or now KTM," Miller explained.

“So we’re just trying to rotate the bike back around, but also keep my body position in the right spot that makes me comfortable and able to push.

“We tried something very similar in Mugello, but I couldn't find a way to get comfy. We were in a hurry there and obviously going into Q1 made the weekend a little more stressful.

“So it was nice to get a decent base and then try it again here. We played with it a little bit more and got myself to where I'm comfortable.

“Now it feels good [in the high-speed corners],” Miller added. “And the bike’s reacting really well once I put it on the other side of the tyre in the changes of direction.”

However, accounting for the crosswind was an added complication.

“It was a bit tricky this afternoon with that crosswind, turn six was pretty dodgy, the front was bouncing around quite a bit, but then turn seven was unreal!

“You just let go - didn't even touch the brakes - just hang off the side of the bike and she’d blow in. Makes you feel like a legend in some corners and like a beginner in others!”

Team-mate Brad Binder is also directly into Qualifying 2, in eighth.