After a sweaty weekend at the Sachsenring, in Germany, Miguel Oliveira had a happy ending this Sunday. In 30 demanding laps, the CyptoData RNF MotoGP Team rider managed to finish the weekend's long race inside the top 10 and therefore score points in what was the seventh round of the 2023 MotoGP World Championship.
For Sunday's race, Oliveira, who qualified 16th, started from 15th on the grid due to the absence of Marc Márquez. Despite having again suffered a strong impact on his left shoulder this Friday, the Portuguese rider performed a stubborn race. He gained two positions on his good start and after a strong first lap, he started to pick up pace. Despite the pain, Miguel Oliveira continued on, rising to P12 on lap 18 and 11th right after. With four laps to go, he made the top 10 and passed the checkered flag in a brave effort still within that group of riders.
"It is a pleasing result, especially because we could be competitive and challenging every lap for the best we can. I couldn't really push myself to the maximum, because once I lose strength in the left shoulder, it felt like it can pop out again. So, I really had to protect myself and ride in a way that I'm not really comfortable with. Anyway, it's a good effort from me and the team and we look forward to go to Assen and see how the Aprilia performs there", reveals Miguel Oliveira.
It should be remembered that Miguel Oliveira crashed on Friday, when he fell at turn 10, during the second training session of the day, which caused him new pain in his shoulder, which is still recovering. Prior to that, it narrowly missed out on direct entry into Q2 by just 0.160 seconds.
On Saturday, the Charneca de Caparica rider tried to manage his injury and regain some confidence in the day's work, having qualified in P16. For the sprint race of the day, Miguel started from the 6th row on the grid. With a turbulent start, the Portuguese rider lost some positions and found himself in P19 at the end of the first lap, but throughout the race he recovered his pace, gained a few meters and crossed the finish line in 16th position.
Now, the CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team is packing its bags and heading to Assen, Holland, for the third round of a three-race sequence, the third round which will be the last Grand Prix before the summer break.
