Aussie MotoGP rider Jack Miller overcame some very tricky and mixed conditions to deliver two brilliantly mature and measured practice sessions in Motorland Aragon on Friday.
Preparations for Sunday's 23-lap encounter were badly disrupted by rain showers that fell just as both FP1 and FP2 were about to commence at the 5.078km venue.
Miller has often proven to be a master of mixed conditions and Friday was no exception, with the Australian in superb form on a rapidly drying track this morning to finish less than 0.1s outside of the top three on his Honda RC213V machine.
Miller's outstanding display in the morning meant he was full of confidence heading into the second session.
But when rain fell heavily to soak Motorland Aragon again right at the moment the pit exit was opened, Miller decided to play a patient game and he waited until the final third of FP2 when conditions had improved sufficiently to venture out on track.
The Aussie rider quickly calculated where he could attack on a surface littered with treacherous damp patches and a best lap of 2.01.149 placed him just over 0.5s away from the top four again.
“It's been a strange day for us today because it was wet this morning and starting to dry out towards the end of FP1,” he said. “There was a small dry line where you could push a little bit harder but we couldn't run anything like the pace we'd normally see on a fully dry surface.”
“I feel like I've got a strong pace in full wet conditions and I'm happy with my pace on a drying track on rain tyres too. All in all, it was a pretty positive day but I think we can expect a pretty hectic FP3 tomorrow morning with everybody attacking for the top 10. It should be fun and I hope to be in the mix.”
