Video: Jack Miller fights his way from eighth to fourth on last lap to extend Moto3 title lead

JACK Miller has extended his Moto3 points lead after a fighting last lap saw him pass his title rival with a handful of corners to go.

Miller and Hanika, Moto3, Catalunya MotoGP 2014

JACK Miller has extended his Moto3 world championship lead after a fighting last lap saw him pass title rival Romano Fenati with a handful of corners to go.

After heading into the final lap down in eighth, Miller charged past two rivals and benefited from Fenati running wide to snatch an unlikely fourth place, just a few bike-lengths off the podium.

The Australian appeared to struggle for speed throughout the race, sitting around the tail of the pack of nine riders fighting for second place.

MAGNIFICENT SEVEN FOR FIGHTING MARQUEZ

Maintaining eighth as the field crossed the line to charge into the final lap, Miller looked to make his charge.

He was helped by Fenati and Enea Bastianini clashing, slowing the former up enough for Miller to swoop.

A mistake from Miller’s teammate Niklas Ajo, who ran wide while running second, helped the Australian swoop three-wide past two more rivals to take fourth place.

“Until the last lap I was confident that I could pass, but I did not think that I could get up to fourth place, so I’m happy about that,” Miller said.

Alex Marquez won the race comfortably, taking off into the lead off the start and immediately building a one-second lead that his rivals were never able to bridge.

Combined with older sibling Marc Marquez’s victory in the later MotoGP race, the pair became the first brothers to take wins in separate MotoGP classes at the same event.

Moto3 rookie Bastianini was the best of the KTMs home in second, with Efren Vazquez rounding out the podium. Title contender Alex Rinz suffered a blow when he was forced to retire from the race with mechanical problems.

After looking almost certain to lose the championship lead, Miller’s finish means he ekes his gap atop the points standings out to seven from Fenati, with Vasquez a further 18 behind, and Rinz and Marquez rounding out the top five.

The next round is the Dutch TT at Assen in The Netherlands in a fortnight’s time.

Originally published as Video: Jack Miller fights his way from eighth to fourth on last lap to extend Moto3 title lead