Starting 14th af🔴ter a nasty highside in qualifying, Miller got a decent launch off the line but ended up being pushed to the outside at Turn 1.

“I’m happy enough with my performance, but getting knocked back to 21st on the on the first lap probably didn't help,” Miller said. “One💃 of the worst starts in my Grand Prix career.

𝄹“The start itself was OK, I just got sort of sandwiched with the row in front of me, had to roll out early and then kind of got stuck on the outside and hung out to dry [at Turn 1] basically.

“I hate it when people say, ‘if I got a good qualifying, I could have fought for the victory’ or whatever. Qualifying is part of the jobℱ. Yesterday we weren't good enough and didn't get it done.

“But when you get stuck back with those🧜 guys in sort of tenth place and back, she gets pretty dodgy there on the first lജap. I hadn't been back there in a while and it wasn't very fun!

“I was at least able 💟to get through at least the first lap safely and then start my race from there basically, piಞcking off guys lap-by-lap.

17th by the en𓆏d of the opening lap, Miller wrestled his way forwards to ninth at the middle stages, the passed Joan Mir and Brad Binder for seventh heading into the final lap.

“It w♏as a long race. I just kept 🌱my head down the whole time. We had a decent pace all weekend and we were able to show that in a race,” said the factory Ducati rider.

Miller: ‘I saw Marc there on the last lap...’

Miller lined-up his final pass of the race by taking sixth from none other than R🔥epsol Honda’s Marc Marquez, into Turn 4.

“🐻I saw Marc there on the last lap, I was getting closer and closer and closer,” Miller said.

“I was p💦retty gentle [on the tyre] throughout most of the race and was able to have a little bit more [rear grip] in reserve say compared to Marc at the end.

“Through corner 3💫 I was able to really drive onto him and basically get the pass done before the braking zone at Turn 4.

“So I was happy 🦩enough. The bike was performing really well. I put the front tyre through a fair bit of stress with all the overtakes the bike stayed pretty good.

“The [front pressure] warning cam𒐪e up when I was behind Oliveira. So up until about lap 8 maybe. But once I got past him I was able to get a𝔍 bit of clear air.

“Hone🙈stly, it felt cold after being behind all those bikes! But it was pretty bruta൲l race. It’s always hot and humid here.

“It’s not only the temperature when you are behind other bikes, but the roost as well. The front windscreen was smashed to bits by the end. Getting bits of rubber ꦰand rock and whatnot smacking your neck at 350k is not really nice!”

Miller’s physical condition 🥂was already far from ideal after the big impact from Alex Marquez at Phillip Island the previous weekend and then the heavy Saturday highside.

“Yea💫h, another big hit yesterday. The body feels toast, as you can imagine,” Miller said. “Having this issue on the leg. I'm not able to use it as I would like.

“The rest of the body has sort of been compensating for the l💧ack of strength in the left leg. So yeah, definitely feeling it now, but happy enough to be able to have the condition to push all the way to the end෴.”

Combined with victory by team-mate and title leader Fra♒ncesco Bagnaia, Miller’s sixth place helped Ducati Len𒁏ovo secure the 2022 teams’ title, to add to the constructors’ crown, with Bagnaia now on the brink of the riders’ title.

“It's not over yet [for Bagnaia], but it's a lot less pressure going into Valencia now,” Miller said. “He's just got to ride as he knows how to do, and I'm sure they'll be right. But yeah, it was pretty tense in there [pi♑ts] throughout ﷺthe weekend.”

Miller will start his final race weekend for Ducati holding fifth in the world championship, 22 points behind Enea 🍰Bastianini and 21 in front of future KTM team-mate Brad Bi♏nder.