Source: Supplied.

It’s been a full 12 months since North Queenslander Jack Miller won his maiden MotoGP World Championship race in mixed conditions at Assen, where the series will return to this weekend.

Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS Honda’s Miller claimed the first win by a non-factory team in the premier class for a decade, but it opened the floodgates and the 2016 season ended with the two independent Honda teams securing three race wins between them.

Miller heads to the Netherlands off the back of a disappointing result in Barcelona, where he crashed out of the race and dropped out of the top ten in the championship standings after what had initially promised to be a good weekend.

But the Australian’s confidence was boosted by a positive post race test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, which included evaluating set up options for the fast and flowing nature of the 4.5km Assen circuit.

“Obviously I’ve got some decent memories of Assen, after standing on the top step of a MotoGP podium for the first time there last year and I’m looking forward to this year’s race,” Miller said. “We go to the Netherlands after a solid weekend in Barcelona that was spoilt only by the crash in the race. I like the Assen track and I think we can do a good job there.

“We just need to keep working in the same way we’ve done since the start of the season. Conditions will be cooler than the last two races, but I don’t think that will make a big difference, but rain could shake things up a bit. It might be summer, but this is Assen we’re talking about, so the weather can change in an instant. We’re ready whatever it throws at us.”

The weather played an important part in Miller’s victory at Assen one year ago and it looks certain to be a factor this weekend, with rain showers forecast on two of the three days, including race day.