Miller feels he “gets doubted more than anybody” in MotoGP

The Australian made a strong start to life with KTM last weekend in Portugal with fourth in the sprint and seventh in the grand prix, brushing aside what appeared like a difficult winter for the Austrian manufacturer.

Miller is looking to become the first rider since Loris Capirossi to have won races for three different manufacturers, having done so already with Honda in 2016 and Ducati in 2021 and 2022.

The Australian would become just the fifth rider in history to achieve this feat, but speaking ahead of the Argentina Grand Prix this weekend, he feels the surprise at his strong KTM debut in Portugal shows people “still think I lucked my way into this job”.

“I don’t know what it is, I think people still think that I lucked my way into this job somehow, at some points, because I get doubted more than anybody on this grid,” Miller, who has come under much scrutiny over the years since stepping up to MotoGP straight from Moto3 in 2015.

“And to prove countless people wrong again has been amazing.

“It kind of gives me an extra power, and I think the [leading] guys like everybody else were surprised to see me there.

“It gives me an awesome sense of accomplishment to be there already [with the KTM] and challenge with these guys and to prove so many people wrong already is just awesome.”

Asked why he thinks he is doubted more than anyone else, Miller added: “If I knew what it was, I’d fix it.

“I don’t think it’s being Australian because you’ve had guys like Casey [Stoner] come from Australia in a long line of great Australian champions.

“But one way or another I’m constantly doubted, and we’ve been constantly able to prove people wrong throughout my career, whether it be stepping straight up from Moto3 and people saying I was going to be gone within a year, and here I am still eight or nine years later, still going.

“I was a factory Ducati rider, I was told I would never win in those colours and I managed to do that.

“And I’ve won on an underpowered Honda the first time that ever happened.

“But I still get doubted. It’s always nice and that alone, the sense of being able to prove people wrong and do it for yourself is awesome.”