Jack Miller has apologised to his Pramac Yamaha crew after losing his temper during Saturday's Malaysian Grand Prix Sprint, following a misunderstanding over the preparation of his second bike for wet-weather conditions.
The Australian's frustration was captured on television after he entered the pit lane early in the race, hoping to switch to a motorcycle fitted with rain tyres. However, he arrived to find that his second machine was still being prepared, leaving him unable to rejoin the Sprint.
Miller explained that his decision to pit was based on the first signs of rain around the Sepang International Circuit. Running near the back of the field in 17th or 18th position, he believed changing bikes early could give him an opportunity to recover positions if the rain became heavier.
He noticed raindrops around Turns 7 and 8, followed by Turns 9 and 10, areas he said typically receive rain first when showers approach from that direction. Despite weather radar suggesting the rain would arrive later, Miller believed conditions would worsen on the following lap and decided to take the risk.
"It was on me," Miller admitted, explaining that the gamble was entirely his decision.
However, the plan quickly fell apart when he reached the Pramac garage at the end of the second lap. Miller had previously spoken with crew chief Giacomo Guidotti about preparing his second bike, but both had understood the timing differently.
Miller expected the wet-weather machine to be ready immediately, while the team believed they had another four or five laps before he would need it.
Initially, Miller thought the mechanics only needed to remove the tyre warmers. But when he realised they were still working on the brakes and had not even changed the tyres, he knew he had lost too much time to continue the race.
The incident prompted an angry reaction from Miller, who was seen shouting and gesturing towards his crew, including Guidotti. He later acknowledged that the situation had left both himself and the team looking unprepared.
"I had a chat with Giacomo before the race, and I said, you know, 'Have the bike ready'. In my mind, that was like, have the bike ready immediately. In his mind, it was like, you know, four or five laps."
"So, miscommunication. And yeah, unfortunately today we look like wankers."
Despite his frustration, Miller said he had quickly calmed down and apologised to his team after the incident. He maintained that the decision to pit was reasonable given his position and the weather conditions he observed, even though the gamble ultimately failed.
Pramac team director Gino Borsoi also acknowledged the misunderstanding, explaining that the second bike was being prepared for wet conditions and would have been ready approximately one lap later.
Borsoi admitted that Miller had been eager to take advantage of the changing weather, while the team could potentially have prepared the motorcycle slightly faster. However, he stressed that the situation was frustrating for everyone involved.
As it turned out, the rain did not become heavy enough during the Sprint to justify an early switch to wet-weather tyres. Several other riders eventually entered the pits as conditions worsened, but the heavier rain arrived only after the chequered flag.
For Miller, the incident marked another frustrating moment in a difficult Sprint, but he remained clear that his decision had been a calculated gamble rather than an attempt to blame his team.
Although the timing and communication proved costly, the Australian accepted responsibility for his reaction and sought to move forward with his crew after the race.
