Australian MotoGP star Jack Miller has been fined €1000 by FIM stewards after he pushed Alvaro Bautista following their clash in today’s Jerez race.

Miller was taken out by the Pull&Bear Ducati man at turn one on lap six and put the shove down to growing frustration at being ‘almost cleaned out two or three times’ by riders in the group he was in.

“It was a positive weekend until the race, I had good pace in practice and felt comfortable with the bike. I got a good start but got caught up with a bunch of other riders on laps three and four and almost got cleaned up a couple of times. Then Alvaro threw it in deep on the brakes, lost the front and took me out when I was on target for another top ten finish. It was real shame but the positives are that I had great pace and I can take that forward to the race at Le Mans,” said Miller.

Bautista said: “I tried to overtake Miller and enter the corner on the inside, and maybe the track was more delicate there. I lost the front and unfortunately I fell, taking him with me. When you start from so far back, these things can happen. Our pace was better, and we were gaining positions. I understand that tempers flare at that time, but a rider pushing another is never a good image for the sport.

“I think the kick to my bike was uglier than the push, because it wasn’t the bike’s fault. I won’t say if it deserves a sanction or not –that’s down to whoever has to decide. I wouldn’t do that because it’s a racing incident. Miller came to the garage later to ask for an explanation. It’s true that at the start we saw riders going wide trying to overtake, and took others off track.

“I was simply following my own line and lost the front. He understood, apologised for the push and we put it down to something that can happen in racing. I feel bad about crashing and taking out another rider. At the time of the crash I was behind Petrucci, who was seventh, but I felt good. I was taking things calmly, because I knew that the second half of the race was important.”