The Almada rider started from eighth position and made a good start, gaining three positions in the first few corners and securing a solid position among the best in the race.
In the early stages of the race, Miguel Oliveira managed to overtake Pecco Bagnaia before consolidating his position in the top five. With a consistent performance, he finished the race as the best Aprilia rider on track.
After the sprint, Miguel Oliveira was satisfied with the result, but also highlighted the difficulties he faced throughout the race. “We obviously have to look at the positive aspects. We gained three positions in the sprint and finished in the points, which is always good. But on the other hand, I felt quite slow on the bike, I wasn't competitive enough,” admitted the rider.
The track conditions at Aragon complicated tire management, which was a constant concern. “I have no grip to stop and it was very difficult to manage the degradation of the rear tire and also difficult to manage the front tire. The track is very tricky for us,” he explained, referring to the difficulty in maintaining the pace needed to compete with the drivers in front.
The weekend's weather conditions, with rain the day before, complicated the team's preparation, forcing strategic changes to the bike's configuration. “Qualifying didn't go well, I couldn't get comfortable on the bike. We tried two configurations, one in the morning and one now in the sprint, but we still lack a lot of performance compared to the riders in front of us,” explained the Portuguese rider. “You feel like the bike is going to slip away and then suddenly it grabs the asphalt. It's difficult to find a balance,” he added.
Miguel Oliveira's focus is now on Sunday's main race. “For tomorrow, I predict it will be more difficult, but the team is trying to figure out what we can do to get the best out of the package we have. There's a great chance of getting good points tomorrow, so we're totally focused on that,” he said, showing his usual resilience and competitive spirit.
Listen to Miguel Oliveira's full statements after the second day of the Aragon GP here:
