Red Bull KTM Ajo rider Jack Miller delivered one of his most aggressive rides this season on Sunday on Malaysia’s Sepang circuit to finish second to Spain’s Efren Vazquez. With this result the Australian succeeds in taking the Moto3 title chase through to the final round in Valencia on November 9, 2014.
Jack Miller, a Red Bull-sponsored athlete, secured his eighth pole position on Saturday, delivered a determined race on the sweeping Sepang circuit right from the start. Deploying his now characteristic hard braking and fighting spirit he was the major player in the first half of the 18-lap race, occasionally conceding the lead to Vázquez but with Rins and Márquez always close by and threatening.
As the race progressed so did the level of challenges between Miller and Márquez. The riders exchanged paintwork no less than four times in the second half.
With two laps to go it had gone down to a battle between Miller, Rins and Vázquez while Márquez was stranded back at fifth behind Britain´s Danny Kent. And while the race went to Vázquez, the most experienced rider in Moto3, Miller hung on to take a close second ensuring he is still in with an outside chance in the final round. The leading group of five riders all finished within a second of each other.
Alex Rins was third and Miller’s rival for the title, Alex Márquez of Spain finished fifth. While Márquez still leads the championship points by a margin of 11, Miller said he fought to keep his chances alive in Round 18.
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Jack Miller: “We are very pleased with the result we achieved today. It almost felt like we had won the race. We recovered a few points that we had dropped over the course of a couple of races and now we have only one chance. I definitely did what I had to do to survive and to take the championship to Valencia. For the last race we will have to work hard and try to do our best.“
It was also a very good day out for Miller’s teammate Karel Hanika of the Czech Republic who performed well to finish ninth. Both Miller and Hanika ride the KTM RC250 GP machine.
Next race: November 9, 2014 – Valencia, Spain
Results Moto3 Sepang
1. Efren Vázquez (ESP), Honda, 40:41.021 min (18 laps)
2. Jack Miller (AUS), KTM, +0.213 sec
3. Alex Rins (ESP), Honda, +0.385
4. Danny Kent (GBR), Husqvarna, +0.803
5. Alex Márquez (ESP), Honda, +0.831
6. Alexis Masbou (FRA), Honda, +1.073
7. Niccolò Antonelli (ITA), KTM, +1.916
8. Jakub Kornfeil (CZE), KTM, +2.089
9. Karel Hanika (CZE), KTM, +7.336
10. Enea Bastianini (ITA), KTM, +9.520
Other KTM
13. Hafiq Azmi (MAL), KTM, +29.592
15. Remy Gardner (AUS), KTM, +37.467
20. Hafiza Rofa (MAL), KTM, +1:36.170 min
DNF Francesco Bagnaia (ITA), KTM
DNF Isaac Viñales (ESP), KTM
DNF Romano Fenati (ITA), KTM
DNF Ramdan Rosli (MAL), KTM
Standings Moto3 after 17 of 18 races
1. Márquez, 262 points
2. Miller, 251
3. Rins, 226
4. Vázquez, 212
5. Fenati, 174
6. Masbou, 160
7. Bastianini, 122
8. Viñales, 121
9. Kent, 116
10. Brad Binder (RSA), Mahindra, 102
Other KTM
12. Kornfeil, 94
14. Antonelli, 59
16. Bagnaia, 50
18. Hanika, 38
28. Azmi, 3
31. Eric Granado (BRA), KTM, 2
32. Gardner, 1
Manufacturer’s Standings Moto3 after 17 of 18 races
1. Honda, 368 points
2. KTM, 359
3. Mahindra, 160
4. Husqvarna, 143
5. KALEX-KTM, 61
via KTM
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