Month: August 2017

The return to work for the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 team at the Automotodrom Brno saw the riders face completely different conditions in the opening two practice sessions. FP1 was a wet affair, taking place in the rain, and FP2 was held in the dry. Miguel Oliveira proved to be the most adaptable, taking the top spot in FP1 and fourth in the afternoon session. 

The rain at Brno was intense right from the first outing on track for Oliveira. The Portuguese adapted perfectly on his KTM, placing high up the order from the start and only relinquishing first place briefly in the final minutes. He regained the position soon after, on his last lap of the morning -2:15.724.

The times from FP1 were smashed on the opening lap of FP2, as the intermediate class riders went out on slicks. The first few laps were not easy for Oliveira, and it was after a change to soft tyres that he was able to break into the Top 5. Despite having to pay another visit to the garage due to a mechanical problem, Oliveira was able to lower his previous best time twice -2:03.421, ending the FP2 in fourth position, 0,446sec from the best mark.

"I don't feel completely comfortable with the setup of the bike. We have to work a bit more with the rear so that we can turn better. During FP2 I had a small problem with the rear brake, but the mechanics quickly solved it without any difficulty. They have done a great job that allowed me to get back out on track and do a couple of quick laps. I could have done a third, but another rider slowed me down. I am happy with the work we have done today, and we are on course to hit our objectives. We could say that I am prepared for any weather conditions because the bike is also running well in the wet. We will take things day by day and see what happens on Sunday."

The battle for the tenth pole position of the season takes place from 2:05pm tomorrow.

Results (Combined practice time FP1-FP2)

1. Mattia Pasini (Kalex) 2:02.975

2. Francesco Bagnaia (Kalex) 2:03.237 +0.262

3. Xavi Vierge (Tech 3) 2:03.294 +0.319

4. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2:03.421 +0.446

5. Sandro Cortese (Suter) 2:03.430 +0.455

Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 rider Miguel Oliveira closed the first half of the 2017 season with the best result at the Germany GP. This weekend he will be back onboard on his KTM Moto2 bike at Brno for the tenth World Championship round of the year. The four-week summer break has allowed the rider to rest and train as much as possible, ahead of his return to action.

Oliveira, third in the overall standings and with four podium finishes to his name, will again have victory in his crosshairs. The Portuguese was extremely close at the German GP, and was given a motivational boost with his first test with the KTM MotoGP bike on July 7th at Aragon. Ninth in last year’s Moto2 Czech GP, Oliveira’s best result at the track came three years ago in Moto3 with a seventh position.

Miguel Oliveira:

"During the summer break I was able to test the KTM MotoGP bike, have had time to rest, to train hard and to analyse a little what we did in the first half of the season -which has been fantastic. I’m very glad to have tested the MotoGP bike, and of course it’s a day I will not forget in a hurry.

I hope we can finish in the Top 5 in every race in the second half of the season. Our goal is to start consistently fighting for the podium, and if we can win a race, all the better. We are looking for the bike to work to perfection every weekend, and above all to collect information to keep moving forward. I’m very motivated to be able to fight for podiums and victories."

The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider will start riding on Friday at the historic Automotodrom Brno. The Moto2 contest will be held on Sunday at 12.20pm local time, as the series kicks off the first of two consecutive weekends of racing.