Jack Miller has earned a second-row grid place for the MotoGP season-opening Portuguese GP. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)
Camera IconJack Miller has earned a second-row grid place for the MotoGP season-opening Portuguese GP. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS) Credit: AAP

Marquez secures Portugal pole as Jack Miller shines

Ian ChadbandAAP

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Australian star Jack Miller has made an exciting start with his new team, Red Bull KTM, while just missing out on a podium place in MotoGP's inaugural sprint race at the season-opening Portugal Grand Prix.

After earlier setting a lap record at the Portimao circuit, Miller was in the thick of the action from the start of the short 12-lap race, weaving from fifth on the grid to even briefly take the lead by halfway before his former Ducati teammate, world champion Francesco Bagnaia, went on to win.

Miller, whose see-saw race amid the frantic action resulted in him dropping back from first to seventh at one point in Saturday's race, then rallied over the final couple of laps to finish fourth - a spectacular result after his and KTM's underwhelming performances in pre-season.

Bagnaia took victory with a last-lap overtake on Jorge Martin to earn 12 points and move to the top of the standings ahead of the Grand Prix itself on Sunday. Miller, unexpectedly, picked up six points as a welcome boost to kick off his season.

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It was an impressive opening for the 28-year-old Queenslander, who may have a point to prove this season with KTM after losing his prized factory Ducati seat.

The new eve-of-Grand Prix 'sprints', to be run over roughly half the full Grand Prix distance, have been introduced this season to make the sport more entertaining -and it looks as if the short format may suit Miller's all-out aggression.

His confident charge from fifth to the head of the field was aided by the Aussie being the only rider among the leaders using a soft front tyre as he sped past his rivals.

Earlier, Marc Marquez, who went on to finish third in the sprint race, had taken pole position in qualifying with a spectacular new lap record of 1 minute 37.226 seconds.

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On his Honda, six-time champion Marquez reminded everyone of his greatness in a fantastic ending to a session which was given a spectacular start when Miller recorded the first of four new lap records to be set during the morning.

Spaniard Marquez had set the first to top the first qualifying session but it lasted just a few minutes as Miller set a new mark of 1:37.549.

Miller decided to go out again, but this time suffered a crash at turn three just as his old teammate Bagnaia was breaking the record again.

Marquez then delivered his masterful lap for his first pole since the Japanese Grand Prix last year, a surprise outcome given his struggles in pre-season testing as well as Friday's practice.

Marquez will be joined on the front row for Sunday's race by Bagnaia and Pramac Racing's Jorge Martin, while Miguel Oliveira will start fourth on the second row with Miller and Enea Bastianini alongside him.

With Reuters