Red Bull KTM Ajo rider clocks second fastest time in Valencia test, only 8 thousandths of a second off the top spot. Karel Hanika misses most of second day of testing with right wrist pain.

Jack Miller continued his excellent adaptation to the KTM bike on the second testing day held at Valencia. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider was the second fastest man of the day, with a time of 1:39.462, and was just 8 thousandths of a second off the best lap. Increased temperatures and lower winds helped make the day much easier than yesterday. Karel Hanika was unable to fully participate in the day’s testing through injury.

Rookie Hanika was forced to sit out proceedings with a right wrist injury, picked up late on Tuesday. He undertook three laps on Wednesday morning, but his injury did not allow him to ride comfortably. Teammate Miller flew the flag for the team, standing firm at the head of the timesheets. With a best time of 1:39.462, the Australian rider finished the first session with the fastest lap of the morning. During the rest of the day the Australian tried different settings for his KTM, giving the time over to his technicians and mechanics. In the end, his morning lap would be the second best of the entire day.

After passing a medical examination in Valencia, Karel Hanika could breathe easy after learning that nothing in his wrist was broken and that his injuries were limited to swelling of the appendage. He will see tomorrow if he is fit to ride.

Tomorrow sees the third and final day of testing at the Ricardo Tormo circuit, following which the riders head to Jerez as preseason continues next week.

Combined Standings – Days 1 and 2
1. Niccolo Antonelli (KTM) 1:39.454
2. Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:39.462 +0.008
3. Danny Kent (Red Bull Husqvarna Ajo) 1:39.726 +0.272
4. Romano Fenati (KTM) 1:39.885 +0.431
5. Isaac Viñales (KTM) 1:40.060 +0.606
23. Karel Hanika (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:41.526 +2.072

Jack Miller >> Audio
“It was a good day for us, we did not suffer any crashes, so it went better for us in that respect. We did many tests with parts that have arrived from KTM and for much of the day we concentrated on testing them out. That is why we have not had too much time to improve our laps, but I’m happy because we were in the 1:39s consistently. If time permits, I think tomorrow we can improve this even more. We have many things to try out, and the objective of this test is not so much to up our pace, but rather to do a lot of experimenting to see the bike responds and to try out the new KTM parts. The team is happy with my feedback and I am very happy with the way we are going with the development of the bike.”

*Audio solely for radio use