Yesterday took place the Qatar Grand Prix of the MotoGP calendar.
The Red Bull KTM Tech3 rookie started the race with a few setbacks, but quickly solved the situation by getting up some positions, reaching and maintaining the thirteenth place for a couple of laps. The Almada rider was during some moments of the race the best KTM rider, running ahead of his team-mate Hafizh Syahrin, as well as the drivers Johann Zarco and Pol Espargaro.
Due to the wear of the KTM RC16’S rear tire, Miguel Oliveira lost some positions in the last laps of the race, finishing it in seventeenth place. The rider did not score in what was his first race in the premier class of the MotoGP World Championship, but he’s feeling confident for the next race.
"It was an interesting race. My engine stopped on the starting grid and I had to restart the pit lane, aligned last, but despite this small setback I kept calm and made a good start and a great first lap, where I passed in 14th on the first pass through the finish line. I was very surprised by the performance of the bike at the beginning of the race and managed to stay and defend myself within the group. It's a pitty that only with seven/eight laps left my rear tire has lost its yield and then there was not much else I could do because the tire was completely degraded. I could not finish in the points. I felt that today was a day where I had a lot of capacity, yet we could not make the tire last the entire race. We leave here with the positive fact that we’re of being competitive and have the potential to be faster. At the end of it all, finishing at 16 seconds is not negative and the team is happy. Now we are going to work to make better in Argentina. My dream today came true, I did my first MotoGP race. I fought with what I had and I am sure we will still have many joys with my KTM.” Miguel Oliveira
The next race will take place at the Circuit of Termas de Rio Hondo, Argentina, on the weekend of March 29-31.
Race Results:
1. A. Dovizioso (Ducati)
2. M. Marquez (Honda) + 0.023s
3. C. Crutchlow (Honda) + 0.320s
17. M. Oliveira (KTM) + 16,377s
