Miller fastest Moto3 on final day; McPhee 6th, Kent 7th

Jack Miller has taken the top spot on the final day of the 2014 preseason at Jerez, holding off the Estrella Galicia Honda of Alex Marquez by 0.1 to take the top sport with a 1:46.259 lap of the Spanish circuit.

Speaking afterwards, Miller said: “It was a good day. Once again we tested more parts for the bike, and once again they have given us very good results. We are confident that we are working in the right way to develop the bike throughout the year. I’m very eager to see how it evolves. We were fortunate enough to get some fairly decent times: One early in the morning and one in the afternoon. I made a small mistake when I was trying to lower my times, but I think this is also ok. We were consistent with our race simulation times, so I feel strong for Qatar.”

Miller’s teammate, young Czech rider Karel Hanika was a surprise third, graduating to Moto3 after winning the 2013 Red Bull Rookies Cup, while Jakub Kornfeil was fourth and Efren Vazquez was fifth.

However, one of the real surprises of the test was young Scot John McPhee, finishing sixth on the RTG Honda, one place ahead of fellow Brit and championship contender Danny Kent.

McPhee, riding an underpowered Honda compared to the KTMs, was able to put in his fast times after a new suspension setup gave him a newfound confidence in the bike.

“The combination provided a really good balance which gave me the confidence to push on. I had a target when I done my fastest lap, but not a slipstream, so I was pleased with that, but the main thing for me was that I managed to do a 47.3 lap completely on my own – no target, no slipstream. So yeah, we made a big step forward today which, as I say, is pleasing for me and the team who’ve done a really good job in the build up to the season.”

Danny Kent: “It hasn’t been a bad test, because we improved on the last visit here. My times are inside the Top 10, which is difficult as I think many riders were faster than the pole time. The main thing is that we have found a good base setup and are ready for Qatar. We’re feeling confident, as some other riders have just set faster one-off laps whilst we have found a good pace. We’re ready for Qatar.”

1 Jack MILLER 8 AUS Red Bull KTM Ajo  KTM 1:46.259
2 Alex MARQUEZ 12 SPA Estrella Galicia 0.0  HONDA 1:46.359 0.1 
3 Karel HANIKA 98 CZE Red Bull KTM Ajo  KTM 1:46.381 0.122
4 Jakub KORNFEIL 84 CZE Calvo Team  KTM 1:46.388 0.129 
5 Efren VAZQUEZ 7 SPA Saxoprint-RTG  HONDA 1:46.392 0.133 
6 John McPHEE 17 GBR Saxoprint-RTG  HONDA 1:46.493 0.234
7 Danny KENT 52 GBR Red Bull Husqvarna Ajo  HUSQVARNA 1:46.547 0.288
8 Isaac VIÑALES 32 SPA Calvo Team  KTM 1:46.551 0.292 0.004 
9 Romano FENATI 5 ITA Sky Racing Team by VR46  KTM 1:46.592 0.333 
10 Miguel OLIVEIRA 44 POR Mahindra Racing  MAHINDRA 1:46.612 0.353 
11 Alex RINS 42 SPA Estrella Galicia 0.0  HONDA 1:46.694 0.435 
12 Niklas AJO 31 FIN Avant Tecno Husqvarna Ajo  HUSQVARNA 1:46.768 0.509 
13 Juanfran GUEVARA 58 SPA Mapfre Aspar Team Moto3  KALEX-KTM 1:46.782 0.523 
14 Niccolo ANTONELLI 23 ITA Junior Team GO&FUN Moto3  KTM 1:46.840 0.581 
15 Philipp OETTL 65 GER Interwetten Paddock Moto3  KALEX-KTM 1:46.967 0.708