Miller “struggling” to get luck turning his way after Spain MotoGP exit

While both team-mate Brad Binder and GasGas Tech3 rookie Pedro Acosta have finished on the podium this year, Miller has only managed one finish inside the top five in the opening four rounds of the season.

Miller was running in 11th position on the factory KTM on lap 17 in Sunday’s grand prix at Jerez when Pramac rival Morbidelli made a futile overtaking attempt going into Turn 5, sending both riders on the ground.

The collision brought a premature end to what had been a trying weekend for the Australian, who also suffered a first-lap crash in the sprint, returning empty-handed from Spain.

Asked to explain the clash with Morbidelli, the four-time grand prix winner said he was closely following KTM stablemate Acosta when the Italian launched an attack on him.

“When Pedro [Acosta] came past, I tried to hook the claws in him, just to understand what he is doing differently, try and learn as much as possible,” said the 29-year-old.

“Unfortunately that got cut short when Franky decided he wanted to make a gap when there was no room.

“It resulted in us both having an early shower. So not the way we wanted to end the day.

“I don’t know if I’ve run over a black cat or we fell under a ladder or something at the minute, but we are struggling to get the bloody thing luck turning our way. But we will stick with it, we’ll keep on the programme.”

A verbal altercation followed between Miller and Morbidelli after they both went down at Turn 5, with the KTM rider gesticulating at his rival during their heated conversation.

Miller revealed he did have to go to the race control in the aftermath of their crash, but no action was taken against either as the stewards deemed it to be a racing incident.

“I didn’t really get a telling off,” he said. “I got a telling off more for my actions afterward. But I didn’t hit him, I didn’t punch him or anything like that.

“I was obviously crashed [into] and then Franky told me in the gravel what I do to him yesterday [Saturday].

“I was quite dumbfounded because I said, ‘look, I crashed out of the f*****g first lap yesterday so I don’t know what I could have done. I don’t know if he had me confused with somebody else.

“Anyway, it’s not what we wanted.”

For his part, Morbidelli explained that he wasn’t attempting to overtake Miller into Turn 5 and their contact was a result of their lines merging into the corner.

“It was an unfortunate race incident,” he said. “Jack was doing a different line. It was at the end of the race, but I was quite a bit faster than him. But I couldn’t pass him because Jack was braking very fast.

“In that corner, I didn’t even want to pass him, but the way he made the line…I thought I would go on for mine. In the end, we had contact. It was a shame

Asked if he cleared the air with Miller later, the Italian replied: “The race was not going well for either of us, after you end up on the gravel it’s okay to be angry.”