Source: MotoGP.

To mark the start of the Gran Premio Red Bull de la República Jack Miller decided to take his CWM LCR Honda out on to the Salinas Grandes salt desert in Jujuy yesterday afternoon.

The spectacular setting of the Salinas Grandes salt desert, normally a quiet and serene place, instead bore witness to the flame spitting power of a 250hp motorbike as Miller rode his RC213V-RS on the unique surface.

Located in Northern Argentina at 3500m above sea level, the Salinas Grandes is a large salt desert that spans over 6,000 square kilometres.

Salt deserts and lakes around the world have traditionally been used for land speed record attempts over the years, but never before has someone attempted to ride a fully-fledged MotoGP bike on one.

“It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to go up that high into the mountains and discover a big salt-flat like that,” Miller beamed. “It was pretty cool. We had some fun on board the CWM LCR Honda, but it’s back to business time now this weekend in Rio Hondo.

“I’m looking forward to getting out on track and I expect it will be a little bit slippery in the first couple of laps like last year. There have been a few car races and other events since last time so there should be some more rubber down and that makes me keen to get out on track.

“In Texas I got a lot more comfortable on the bike and during the race got to sit with the big group and learn so much before picking up my first points. I look forward to taking what I learned from there and put it into practice here. The track suited the Honda of Marc Marquez who won here last year, so I hope it works here for me too.”

Miller is no stranger to facing challenges, like the one he has taken on this year by becoming the first ever rider to jump straight from the Moto3 class, in which he was runner-up last year, to the premier class of motorcycle racing, MotoGP.

As the Australian set about having fun on the salt, it provided a spectacular treat for the senses, with the smell of petrol fumes in the air and the iconic scream of a Honda V4 engine a fitting way to welcome the MotoGP World Championship to Argentina.