SEPANG, Malaysia (Reuters) – Australian Jack Miller said luck was on his side when the Red Bull KTM rider survived a nasty crash in the opening lap of the Malaysian Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit on Sunday.
Miller got entangled with his team mate Brad Binder and Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo, with the Australian being thrown off his bike before his helmet hit Quartararo’s rear tyre and Honda’s Joan Mir ran over his legs.
The race was immediately red-flagged and while Binder and Quartararo walked away, Miller stayed motionless on the track until assistance arrived.
He was immediately taken to the circuit’s medical centre and as the race was restarted — without both KTM riders on the grid — there was a huge sigh of relief when cameras caught Miller walking back to the garage relatively unscathed.
“Lucky to walk away from that one today. Thank you to everyone for the kind messages,” Miller wrote on Instagram.
Quartararo was the only rider among the trio who restarted the race with a spare bike, eventually finishing sixth.
“I had a big touch with Brad or Jack, then I was flying and after that I don’t really remember. Those things can happen,” Quartararo said.
Mir said he was very worried when he saw the ambulance on the track and medical staff tending to Miller, who later told the Spaniard that he had only bruised his leg.
“When I saw the ambulance, all the stuff, I was very worried, I didn’t know how he was, I ran over his legs and I was worried for him,” Mir said.
“I went to his box (after the race) and he said, ‘No, I’m fine, I’m fine’.”
Red Bull KTM said: “Today was a stark reminder of the risks our riders face every time they line up on the grid.
“Both Brad and Jack were involved in a serious incident on the first lap, but we’re beyond grateful they’re both okay and walking away from the crash relatively unharmed.”
Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia won the race ahead of Jorge Martin, whose lead over the Italian is now 24 points ahead of the season’s final race.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; editing by Clare Fallon)
