Month: October 2017

Red Bull KTM Ajo rider Miguel Oliveira repeated his Moto2 epic victory from the Australian GP at the penultimate round of the season in Sepang, Malaysia. Amidst intense heat and with the complication of fine rainfall on the final laps, the 22-year-old Portuguese rider held on for another remarkable result.

Miguel Oliveira’s race followed the same script as a week ago at Phillip Island. A great start allowed him to take the holeshot, and within two laps he had already established a lead of 1 second from the pursuing group. Oliveira gave his rivals no chance of catching him, setting new circuit records and upping his advantage to as much as almost 5 seconds. The Portuguese has managed to remain calm when the rain began, 4 laps from the end, and crossed the finish line with over a 2 second lead

#44 Miguel Oliveira

“Today I had to give everything, I can hardly speak. This was not the strategy I had in mind before we started, as Franco [Morbidelli] and Brad [Binder] had a very good pace, so my plan was to ride behind them. But I saw that I could give a little more on the first few laps and I went for it. I gave everything I had and I am very proud to have succeeded. At the beginning of the season I did not imagine that we would be able to achieve these results. I thought we would be competitive but not that we would do so well. We deserve this end to the season”.

With this excellent end to the flyaway rounds, Miguel Oliveira has secured third position in the overall standings, with 216 points.

The final race of the year will be take place on November 12th in Valencia.

Results (Race)

1. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 40:28.955

2. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +2.387

3. Franco Morbidelli (Kalex) +6.878

4. Mattia Pasini (Kalex) +21.774

5. Francesco Bagnaia (Kalex) +22.086

Moto2 World Championship Standing 2017

1. Franco Morbidelli (Kalex) 288 points

2. Thomas Luthi (Kalex) 243 points

3. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 216 points

4. Alex Marquez (Kalex) 190 points

5. Francesco Bagnaia (Kalex) 161 points

9. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 109 points

Miguel Oliveira will start the Malaysian GP from the front row. After reaffirming his good feeling from Friday by placing in second in the last Free Practice session, the Red Bull KTM Ajo Portuguese rider finished the job by taking very good positions on the grid in qualifying. Oliveira, in second place, will start from the front row for the fifth time this year.

Knowing that dry track time in Malaysia is invaluable, the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 rider made the most of his last 45 minutes of Free Practice. Oliveira improved on each of his three runs and a time of 2:06.698 placed him third.

In qualifying, high ambient temperatures reaching 32ºC meant the Moto2 Portuguese rider looked to set his fastest laps as early as possible. Oliveira again lowered his best time, and a 2:06.432 on his fourth lap put him just 0.026s off pole. He remained in the spot when the chequered flag fell.

#44 Miguel Oliveira

“I felt very good today. I’m very happy with this second position, and with getting back on the front row. I think we can say that we are a little more consistent than at Phillip Island. Tomorrow will be a battle of attrition in a way, because it is very hot, we will lose a lot of grip and it is easy to crash over the course of the race. We will be aware of all these factors and of the weather, which can change at any time; as always we will go out to enjoy ourselves and give everything in the race”.

Tomorrow's race will take place at 1:20pm local time -6:20am CET. Miguel Oliveira will try to fight for a place on the podium. Oliveira has already been on the rostrum at Sepang, in Moto3 two years ago.

Results (Qualifying session)

1. Franco Morbidelli (Kalex) 2:06.406

2. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2:06.432 +0.026

3. Fabio Quartararo (Kalex) 2:06.478 +0.072

4. Alex Marquez (Kalex) 2:06.511 +0.105

5. Thomas Luthi (Kalex) 2:06.593 +0.187

After his victory in Australia last week, Miguel Oliveira remained at the head of the pack on day one of the Malaysian GP. At the Sepang International Circuit, the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider was the fastest on Friday thanks to his FP1 time. In the afternoon, in wet conditions, Oliveira finished third.

Miguel Oliveira once again sprung a surprise by going fastest in FP1, with a 2:06.856 time. The feat deserved special merit considering that Friday was the first time that the Portuguese had ridden at Sepang with a Moto2 bike -last year he missed the Malaysian round due to injury- and that it was also the first time a KTM Moto2 bike had run at the track.

In the afternoon, Oliveira continued his great form with third position in FP2 -2:24.139-, but this time on a completely wet surface in the rain. The Portuguese was comfortable in these difficult conditions and led the way for much of the session, going just 0.063s slower than the best time.

Tomorrow sees the penultimate qualifying session of the season in Moto2, taking place at 3.05pm local time -9:05am CET.

#44 Miguel Oliveira

“Today went fairly well here in Sepang, both in the morning when it was very hot and the track was dry, and in the afternoon in the wet and rain. We put ourselves in a good position quickly and that gave us confidence. We don’t know what to expect from the weather this weekend, but I think we will be ready if it’s either dry or wet. The goal is to continue with the same work as today and get a place on the starting grid that allows us to go all out in Sunday's race.

I also want to take this moment to express my sincere condolences to Stefan Kiefer’s family and friends, my last year team manager, which sadly left us today, unexpectedly. He will be missed.”

The former pilot Stefan Kiefer, also team boss and co-founder of Kiefer Racing, was found dead this morning in Kuala Lumpur, when the team was preparing to head to Sepang for the Malasian GP. Highly admired in paddock for his friendly personality, he was also Leopard Racing’s team manager, where Miguel Oliveira had his debut in the intermediate category, last year. With this tragic news, The Kiefer Racing team has decided not to participate in the Grand Prix, this weekend, in Sepang.

Results (Combined practice times FP1-FP2)

1. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2:06.856

2. Franco Morbidelli (Kalex) 2:06.929 +0.073

3. Thomas Luthi (Kalex) 2:06.950 +0.094

4. Takaaki Nakagami (Kalex) 2:07.086 +0.230

5. Mattia Pasini (Kalex) 2:07.284 +0.428

With little time to take in his historic win in Australia, Miguel Oliveira moves straight on to the seventeenth round of the year in Sepang, Malaysia. With expectations high after his best weekend of the year, the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider will try to end the triple flyaways with another great performance.

Having achieved his goal of giving KTM their first victory in Moto2, Miguel Oliveira arrives in Sepang a point ahead of his closest rival in the fight for the third place in the overall standings. The portuguese rider will attempt to earn his eighth podium of the year. In 2015, Oliveira took victory at Sepang in Moto3 – during his previous spell with the Red Bull KTM Ajo team.

#44 Miguel Oliveira

“Of the two remaining races, I love the Sepang International Circuit and I also like Valencia. In fact, those are two tracks where I sincerely believe we can be competitive, so we will see how we respond, since I have never ridden a Moto2 bike in Malaysia. Third position in the World Championship is not my main objective; my real goal is to enjoy riding at the remaining rounds. Getting that position at the end would be a nice bonus, but the most important thing is to do a good job.”

Moto2 World Championship race at Sepang will be held at 13:20pm local time (6:20am CET).

Circuit information – Sepang International Circuit

Length: 5.543m / 3.444 miles

Width: 25m

Left corners: 5

Right corners: 10

Longest straight: 920m / 0.572 miles

Constructed: 1998

Modified: 2016

Sunday at the Australian GP could not have gone better for the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 team. An historic day for the team, the Austrian factory and for Portugal saw Miguel Oliveira take his first victory in the class, becoming the first Portuguese rider to do so and, above all, giving KTM their first win in their maiden year in Moto2. This great success was capped off by the first podium for Brad Binder, a rookie this year, in second place.

Just like he did two seasons ago in Moto3, Miguel Oliveira stood tall on the highest step of the Phillip Island podium today. The Portuguese dominated the race from start to finish. A great start allowed him to take the holeshot, and he held the lead for the remaining 25 laps. With an unmatched pace, Oliveira escaped from teammate Binder and from Franco Morbidelli on the eighth lap, finally crossing the finish line with an almost 3 second advantage.

#44 Miguel Oliveira

"I'm very happy; I just feel happiness. I could not be more grateful for this victory because when it started to rain I struggled a little. I already had a certain advantage and was aware that the distance I had from the pursuing riders had been reduced, which created a little stress. As you can imagine, it has been the longest race of my life. I’m very happy with the team and with my first victory in the class, the first for KTM and hopefully not the last".

Miguel Oliveira (and also his teammate Binder) gain a position in the overall standings as a result of his historic Australian GP. With just two rounds of the season remaining, Miguel Oliveira has regained third position -191 points. The Portuguese rider will try to keep his form going next week at the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Aki Ajo – Team Manager

"After the excellent race today, the first thing I want to do is to thank the riders, KTM, Red Bull, all our partners and the team, because we are very happy to be part of a great project like this year after year. It was an unforgettable race, with Miguel [Oliveira] dominant at all times and setting a steady pace that allowed him to escape, and with Brad [Binder] showing his great evolution and getting a very hard fought and deserved podium. These results are the reward for the great work done throughout the season by all parties involved."

Results (Race)

1. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 39:25.920

2. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +2.974

3. Franco Morbidelli (Kalex) +3.846

4. Jesko Raffin (Kalex9 +7.348

5. Xavi Vierge (Tech3) +7.403

Moto2 World Championship Standing 2017

1. Franco Morbidelli (Kalex) 272 points

2. Thomas Luthi (Kalex) 243 points

3. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 191 points

4. Alex Marquez (Kalex) 190 points

5. Francesco Bagnaia (Kalex) 150 points

The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 portuguese rider enjoyed a great qualifying session this Saturday at the spectacular Phillip Island circuit. Miguel Oliveira, thanks to his taking the third best time of the session, earned his fourth front row of the season, and was also the fastest rider in FP3.  

After the rain that affected the previous MotoGP session, there was uncertainty amongst the Moto2 field about their approach to FP3. Finally, Oliveira went out with slicks and continued working on the setup of his KTM bike. The Portuguese was the most successful in the 45 minute session, being one of just four riders to improve their times from yesterday and also going fastest in FP3 with a 1:33.919 lap.

The same script was followed in qualifying, with a few drops of rain falling at the beginning of the session. However, the Portuguese rider did not have to wait long to go out and fight for pole position.

The Red Bull KTM Ajo duo – Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder – set their best times on their respective third stints. Oliveira and Binder went out on track together, in an excellent strategy, and lowered their times on two consecutive laps, placing in third -1:33.422- and fourth -1:33.453- position, respectively. Both clocked their best times of the weekend in the session.

#44 Miguel Oliveira

“It was a bit of a strange qualifying session. It immediately started to rain when we went out on track for the first time, and we had to begin a little later than we had planned. In the end everything went well, I feel good on the bike and am comfortable. It was a little disappointing because I felt I had something more in reserve and could have done a little better, but I encountered a lot of riders ahead of me who prevented me from going for a better position. It's a shame not to have been able to set a higher pace, but for tomorrow I'm confident we’ll get a good result.”

Tomorrow sees the sixteenth race of the year take place, starting at 2.20pm local time (4.20am portuguese time). Both Oliveira and Binder hold previous wins at Phillip Island as Red Bull KTM Ajo riders in Moto3, in 2015 and 2016, respectively.

Results (Qualifying Practice)

1. Mattia Pasini (Kalex) 1:33.300

2. Marcel Schrotter (Suter) 1:33.308 +0.008

3. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:33.422 +0.122

4. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:33.453 +0.153

5. Franco Morbidelli (Kalex) 1:33.495 +0.195

The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 Portuguese rider went from the heavy rain of Japan to the cold and windy conditions of the Australian GP this Friday. On his first day of action with a Moto2 bike at Phillip Island, Miguel Oliveira found a good feeling after the first two Free Practice sessions. The Portuguese set the fourth best lap, thanks to his time in FP1.

FP1 was used by Miguel Oliveira to undertake his first laps with a Moto2 bike at the Australian circuit. Miguel Oliveira put in the maximum amount of track time possible, making a single stop in the pits and completing 24 laps. Oliveira again showed his ease in adapting in new tracks, going third fastest with a 1:34.119 lap and putting in a strong pace

The Red Bull KTM Ajo portuguese rider has started the afternoon session strongly. In conditions similar to those he had experienced in the morning, Miguel Oliveira was in the Top 10 during the first ten minutes. In fact, the best lap for Oliveira was set in that early spell: A 1:34.335 for sixth place.

#44 Miguel Oliveira

"It was a positive first day here at Phillip Island. In the second session there was a lot more wind than in the morning and we tried out different tyre compounds, because we still aren’t sure about which tyres to use. It seems that the softer rubber isn’t very good for us, so we will try to improve for tomorrow if the weather is favourable. However, overall we can say that it has been a positive Friday”.

Miguel Oliveira will battle for the best grid position possible tomorrow at 4:05pm local time -6:05am, portuguese time.

Results (Combined practice times FP1-FP2)

1. Takaaki Nakagami (Kalex) 1:33.310

2. Mattia Pasini (Kalex) 1:34.986 +0.676

3. Dominique Aergerter (Suter) 1:34.020 +0.710

4. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:34.119 +0.809

5. Franco Morbidelli (Kalex) 1:34.206 +0.896

Miguel Oliveira had a demanding start to the flyaway rounds at Motegi, where three days of continuous rain compromised his performance at the Japanese track. For the sixteenth race of the season, the portuguese rider arrived at a circuit where he has previously won in Moto3: Oliveira in 2015.

Miguel Oliveira won the Australian GP with Red Bull KTM Ajo in 2015, as part of his superb transoceanic tour. In 2016, the Portuguese rider missed the race at Phillip Island due to injury, so this weekend he will have his first Moto2 experience of the Australian track. It's a challenge for which he feels motivated, and he is keen to get back into the podium fight after difficulties at Motegi.

#44 Miguel Oliveira

"The Australian GP is a round that I really like, besides being a track at which I have a victory with the team and another podium. I can't wait to go Phillip Island and discover it with the Moto2 bike. It is usually very windythere; I hope that this weekend the weather will favour us, since at Motegi it rained every day. I'm keen to get back riding and doing my best with the team".

The Moto2 race is scheduled for 14:20h Australian time on Sunday, 4:20am, portuguese time.

Circuit information – Phillip Island

Length: 4.448m / 2.764 miles

Width: 13m

Left corners: 7

Right corners: 5

Longest straight: 900m / 0.559 miles

Constructed: 1956

Modified: 1988

True to the weather forecasts, intense rain played a big part in the action at Twin Ring Motegi on Sunday. With the track in worse conditions than it previously had been during the weekend, and with the Moto2 race reduced to just 15 laps, Miguel Oliveira was able to salvage seventh position and add 9 points to his tally for the season. 

Starting from fifth position on the grid, Miguel Oliveira dropped down a place on the opening lap, quickly regaining it on Lap 2. The Portuguese remained in this position until the midway point of the Japanese GP, when he was unable to keep up the pace and was overtaken by two riders.

With no time to rest, the flyaway rounds continue next week in Australia. Miguel Oliveira will arrive at Phillip Island in fourth place overall, with 166 points.

#44 Miguel Oliveira

"It was a difficult race, with lots of water on track. I was not at all comfortable, especially with the rear tyre that didn’t give me a good enough feeling to be able to push more. I was close to the Top 5, but when I understood that I couldn’t go faster I tried to control the race to the best of my ability to finish. Seventh is not the result we had hoped for, but the positive thing is that we finished and now it is time to look ahead to Phillip Island -a circuit that I like and that I think it suits our bike quite well. I'm sure we'll arrive there strong".

Aki Ajo – Team Manager

"I'm a bit disappointed with the final result of the Moto2 race, although overall we can continue to be happy with the performance we've had over the weekend. We are fairly fast in any conditions, whether in the dry or in the wet, and this weekend has been a practice for us to keep improving in the rain. We are confident ahead of the coming races".

Results (Race)

1. Alex Marquez (Kalex) 32:08.901

2. Xavi Vierge (Tech3) +1.465

3. Hafizh Syahrin (Kalex) +3.134

4. Francesco Bagnaia (Kalex) +5.415

5. Mattia Pasini (Kalex) +5.618

7. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +7.597

Moto2 World Championship Standing 2017

1. Franco Morbidelli (Kalex) 256 points

2. Thomas Luthi (Kalex) 232 points

3. Alex Marquez (Kalex) 180 points

4. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 166 points

5. Francesco Bagnaia (Kalex) 143 points

Miguel Oliveira just missed out on a second consecutive pole position on the last lap of qualifying for the Japanese GP. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider dominated the second half of the session, but on a last lap with many changes in position, he was relegated in fifth on the starting grid for tomorrow’s race. For the first time this weekend, the Moto2 rider was able to run slicks.

Whilst there was no intense rain, FP3 was another session on a completely wet track for the intermediate class. The conditions were not favorable for lower times from Friday, and the portuguese rider was around 1 second off his best FP2 laps; Oliveira finished eighth -2:06.892-.

Qualifying was a session of two halves. In the first stint, the Moto2 rider went out on wet tyres, and Miguel Oliveira was inside the Top 10. After a pit stop and a change to slicks, Oliveira was able to adapt quickly to the switch and set the pace at the head of the timesheets until the end of the session. Only on the last lap did he vacate the spot, overtaken by four riders to finish fifth with a best time of 1:54.289.  

The Moto2 race will be held at 12.20pm local time (4.20am portuguese time). Miguel Oliveira will look for his second consecutive podium at a circuit where he has already finished inside the Top 3.

Results (Qualifying Session)

1. Takaaki Nakagami (Kalex) 1:53.776

2. Alex Marquez (Kalex) 1:53.904 +0.128

3. Xavi Vierge (Tech3) 1:54.046 +0.270

4. Mattia Pasini (Kalex) 1:54.139 +0.363

5. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:54.289 +0.513