Image: Supplied.

It was a heartbreaking end to the Australian MotoGP for Jack Miller who was taken out in a crushing impact at his own ‘Miller Corner’ while running in the lead group.

Starting from P8, the number 43 didn’t have the best of opening laps but regrouped and began to move his way towards the front.

The Ducati Lenovo Team rider ran as high as third before being shuffled back to fifth in a true battle royale for the leading positions. It was on lap nine when disaster struck and he was hit heavily by Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) who entered the fourth corner too hot.

“It may have christened the corner [Miller Corner], but I was doing everything I could up until that point,” Miller explained to Fox Sports. “I felt pretty comfortable, the bike was working really well and we made a little step overnight.

“Felt really good, especially up and over Lukey [turn nine] and down into 10 the bike felt mega and I was able to charge forwards as much as I felt necessary at that point in the race.

“Then was just trying to maintain and going through the motions as you do in the middle part of the race and got slammed from the rear, I mean it came out of nowhere and there was nothing I could do about it. That’s racing sometimes and that’s all we can say.

With Miller slow to his feet and the Malaysian GP commencing in just five days’ time, the main concern was that he was physically okay.

“I feel alright, I feel like I’ve been run over by a motorbike that is for certain,” he added. “I’m alright, my balls copped a little bit of a hiding when I got jammed against the tank and the calves are a bit sore, but the rest is all good.”

After a zero-points haul at Phillip Island, Miller enters Sepang 54-points from teammate and new championship leader Francesco Bagnaia. Alex Marquez received a long lap penalty to be served at the next round for causing the incident.