In the second race of 2018, Miguel Oliveira took his first podium of the season -coincidentally at the same place where he did so last year. Third place in Argentina came after a hard-fought race on a mixed surface, which made things tough for the Moto2 field.
The 23-lap contest at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit provided a big challenge for the intermediate class, due to the presence of damp patches around the track. With the entire grid choosing to run slick tyres, Miguel Oliveira got off to good starts: The Portuguese gained four places on the opening corner.
Miguel Oliveira rode practically the entire race in the podium spots, and led the way both on Lap 13 and with 6 laps to go. However, contact with a rival rider on that same lap dropped him down to third, where he stayed until the chequered flag.
Miguel Oliveira #44
“I think that during today's race I left the door wide open, above all on the final corner, and that caused me to lose positions at times. I knew that the race would be like it was, with many places where overtaking was possible. I felt very strong, I had pace and I had speed, but it was simply that my lines weren't defensive enough. I had a bit of bad luck, I lost time and, when there were three laps to go, Vierge overtook me and I couldn't do much more. With this podium the situation is very positive, we are taking a lot of points home and we have been performing as we habitually do. I'm very happy with this third place”.
Aki Ajo – Team Manager
"In Moto2 the weekend was challenging with the weather. We had a good feeling in dry conditions that made us face a possible race like that with confidence. Yesterday was different; in FP3 we had a good performance in the wet but in the qualifying session we could not improve, and we took positions on the starting grid that were not as good as we would have liked.
Miguel [Oliveira] made a good start and began the race well, competing in the top positions. With the difficult track conditions we had today, we have to be very happy with his third place. (…) This start of the season has not been perfect but we are confident that in the next few races we will be closer to the victory.”
Following the Argentinian GP, Miguel Oliveira is fifth in the overall standings with 27 points. The next round of the Moto2 World Championship season takes place on April 22nd, in Austin, USA.
Results (Race)
1. Mattia Pasini (Kalex) 40:37.538
2. Xavi Vierge (Kalex) +0.850
3. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +1.414
4. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Kalex) +5.178
5. Alex Marquez (Kalex) +5.431
Moto2 World Championship Standing 2018
1. Mattia Pasini (Kalex) 38 points
2. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Kalex) 33 points
3. Francesco Bagnaia (Kalex) 32 points
4. Xavi Vierge (Kalex) 28 points
5. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 27 points
