Year: 2017

The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 rider kept himself busy after the San Marino GP with a two-day test at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia. The portuguese rider Miguel Oliveira and his colleague Brad Binder enjoyed productive conditions on both days of action, and were able to put in more than 150 laps apiece. Only gusts of wind on Thursday caused problems for the young pairing.

Five rounds from the conclusion of the 2017 season, the Red Bull KTM Ajo structure continue working on the development of the KTM Moto2 bike that has debuted in the intermediate class this year. This week Oliveira and Binder were able to test new parts and confirm setups that had been positive at other circuits. Both used a new front fork, with which they had a good feeling, and links for the rear of the bike.

#44 Miguel Oliveira

"These have been two useful days for us in Valencia. It's been very hot and we've been able to put in a lot of laps, getting important kilometres under our belts. This test has helped us to confirm the good feelings we'd had with different parts in previous tests at other tracks. It's always good to be able to compare feelings at circuits with different characteristics. Every test is focused on being able to ride more comfortably and take steps forward. I was able to ride fast, so the end result is positive; Now we have to focus on the Aragon GP".

The team will remain in Spain for the fourteenth round of the campaign, which takes place at MotorLand Aragon next week. They will be back at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit for the final Grand Prix of the season.

The 13th round of the Moto2 World Championship was marked by heavy rain. Red Bull KTM Ajo rider Miguel Oliveira fell when remaining 17 laps for the checkered flag, after a fenomenal start, where he was able to gain 5 positions just in the first lap.

The Portuguese rider was in a fantastic race pace, in 4th place, when Mattia Pasini, 3rd, fell, offering him the place. After a while, it was the turn of Franco Morbidelli, race and Championship leader, to fell due to the extreme wheather conditions, making the Swiss Dominique Aegerter leader. After being passed by Thomas Luthi, Miguel Oliveira was able to defend his 3rd position, keeping a solid pace and started to recover time from the two front men.

The Portuguese rider was preparing to consolidate his 6th podium presence this season when he lost the front of the bike entering a corner. After the crash the rider still managed to come back to the track, but unfortunately his KTM was too damaged to continue.

#44 Miguel Oliveira

"My fall was a shame, we were building good results during the weekend. I saw in warm up how hard it would be to push under these conditions. I really wasn't pushing hard, nonetheless I lost the front."

Only 16 of the 32 Moto2 riders ended the race, this Sunday, in Misano.

Miguel Oliveira remains 4th in the overall standing, with 141 points, only 14 behind Alex Marquéz.

Qualifying for the San Marino GP saw Miguel Oliveira take ninth place, on the starting grid. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider put in his best lap of the weekend in the Saturday afternoon session, qualifying within 0,593 seconds of pole position.

For the intermediate category riders, the last Free Practice session was focused on working with used tyres. Miguel Oliveira was unable to go faster than he had on Friday, setting his best time in the final ten minutes but remaining in twentieth -1:39.049-.

The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider clocked his best lap of Misano to date in the afternoon run to decide the starting grid. On his first run with new tyres, Oliveira was eighth. After a second stint with the same tyres, the portuguese rider lowered his lap times on his third run -with a further set of fresh rubber. It was in the last ten minutes that Oliveira -1:37.983- confirmed his positions on the third row.

#44 Miguel Oliveira

"After yesterday my expectations for qualifying were a little higher, but I'm happy. Seeing how the practice went this morning, finishing half a second off pole isn't at all bad. In FP3 we made a change to the bike that didn't end up working out, and it all combined: The situation on track, the grip level… Nothing turned out well for us. In the afternoon we knew that the grip would drop a little, and we tried to make the most of it to improve in such conditions. There's still work to do, but tomorrow we will give our all to take a good result. I'm not worried about if there's rain tomorrow, because it's a bit of a lottery and will affect all of us equally".

Tomorrow's 26-lap Moto2 race will take place from 11:20am, Portuguese time. Oliveira has previously placed on the podium at Misano, in Moto3.

Results (Qualifying Practice)

1. Mattia Pasini (Kalex) 1:37.390

2. Franco Morbidelli (Kalex) 1:37.473 +0.083

3. Dominique Aegerter (Suter) 1:37.723 +0.333

4. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Kalex) 1:37.734 +0.344

5. Takaaki Nakagami (Kalex) 1:37.777 +0.387

9. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:37.983 +0.593

The thirteenth round of the Moto2 World Championship began well for the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 team. Miguel Oliveira continued in great form, placing fifth on the combined timesheets for the two Free Practice sessions held on Friday.

In FP1, Miguel Oliveira made two trips back to the garage. The second such occasion was to fit new tyres, and he subsequently set a time of 1:39.029 that placed him tenth.

In the afternoon session, the portuguese rider repeated his tactic and lowered his FP1 times already on his first stint. Oliveira showed once again that his best feeling comes with used tyres, and on his second stint he ran his best pace for a 1:38.342 lap that put him fifth.

#44 Miguel Oliveira

“I wasn't comfortable with the bike this morning during FP1, the track was a little slippery and I didn't feel good. The temperature rose for the second session and we were able to do a good job; we made some changes to the bike that have turned out to be quite positive. We have also tried out some new tyres on our last stint, and to be honest it is still something we need to improve. We're working on it. Tomorrow it will be important to get on one of the front two rows; we will try our best”.

Qualifying for the Moto2 San Marino GP takes place tomorrow from 2:05pm, portuguese local time.

Results (Combined practice times FP1-FP2)

1. Mattia Pasini (Kalex) 1:38.061

2. Franco Morbidelli (Kalex) 1:38.126 +0.065

3. Takaaki Nakagami (Kalex) 1:38.302 +0.241

4. Dominique Aegerter (Kalex) 1:38.326 +0.265

5. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:38.342 +0.281

The twelfth Moto2 race of the year took place this Sunday at Silverstone Circuit, and ended with both Red Bull KTM Ajo riders placing inside the Top 10. Miguel Oliveira was eighth, back amongst the points after his DNF in Austria, whilst Brad Binder’s ninth place was his second consecutive Top 10.

The key moment of the contest for Oliveira came on Lap 10, when he went wide at Turn 7. The Portuguese had been in the group fighting to get onto the podium, but the incident dropped him down to fourteenth place. Never giving up, the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider managed to re-establish his pace and complete the 18 laps in eighth place.

 #44 Miguel Oliveira

“In the end it was a race a little without reward for us, because I had a very good pace and I knew I could have fought for the victory. I didn’t start very well, then I got into the Top 5 and, when I wanted to pass Pasini, I couldn’t engage the gear -it was stuck in neutral and I ran wide. I was able to get back up and pass some other riders, to take some points and cross the finish line in eighth place. We will take away the positives and move on. Now we have to focus and be motivated for the next race”.

Aki Ajo – Team Manager

"This has been another good race for our Moto2 structure, at a circuit where we had never been before. Throughout the weekend Miguel [Oliveira] showed a very good pace, and that he is in great form. In the race he was able to recover from going wide, which had made him lose some positions; without that, he would have been fighting at least to be in the Top 5."

After 12 rounds of the season, Miguel Oliveira remains fourth in the overall standings with 141 points. He will try to continue adding to his total in two weeks’ time, at the San Marino GP.

Results (Race)

1. Takaaki Nakagami (Kalex) 38:20.883

2. Mattia Pasini (Kalex) +0.724

3. Franco Morbidelli (Kalex) +2.678

4. Thomas Luthi (Kalex) +4.645

5. Francesco Bagnaia (Kalex) +9.515

8. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +10.463

Moto2 World Championship Standing 2017

1. Franco Morbidelli (Kalex) 223 points

2. Thomas Luthi (Kalex) 194 points

3. Alex Marquez (Kalex) 155 points

4. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 141 points

5. Francesco Bagnaia (Kalex) 111 points

The final result of the Moto2 British GP qualifying session provided mixed feelings for Miguel Oliveira. The Portuguese Red Bull KTM Ajo rider took a place on the third row, in eighth, but was very satisfied with the pace he set throughout the session.

The intermediate class rider was able to ride on a completely dry surface throughout the final practice session. Oliveira and Binder ran used tyres for the entirety of FP3. Oliveira set his best time on his first stint, placing seventh with a 2:07.927, although he would not lower his times from Friday.

Oliveira’s strategy preferred to focus his efforts on race pace, and found a consistently fast rhythm in the afternoon. He made just one stop in the garage, and put in as many as 12 laps in the 2:07 range. His top time was 2:07.124. 

#44 Miguel Oliveira

“In the qualifying session we placed little lower than we were expecting, but I have to say that it was a very good session for us. We were close to my best lap all the time. I'm happy about this, and I think that tomorrow I can run that pace for the entire race. A lot of riders set their best lap at the end, using slipstreams, so it's a bit bittersweet for us. Looking at the work we've done so far, I'm optimistic for tomorrow".

The Moto2 British GP will have a unique start time of 2pm local time tomorrow.

Results (Qualifying Practice)

1. Mattia Pasini (Kalex) 2:06.572

2. Alex Marquez (Kalex) 2:06.794 +0.222

3. Franco Morbidelli (Kalex) 2:06.817 +0.245

4. Takaaki Nakagami (Kalex) 2:06.936 +0.364

5. Luca Marini (Kalex) 2:06.983 +0.411

8. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2:07.124 +0.552

Miguel Oliveira made a great start to the weekend at Silverstone, and quickly established himself as one of the riders to watch for Sunday’s race. The Portuguese quickly put his disappointing end to the Austrian GP behind him to go fast right from the get-go for the British GP, clocking the second quickest time and putting in a terrific pace.  

The good conditions for FP1 allowed Oliveira to set a 2:08.678 lap, putting him third. A further positive was his 8 laps in the 2:08 range, and he was the only rider to achieve such a feat.  

It took only 3 laps for Oliveira to match his morning time in FP2, and 2 further laps to set his best time of the day: 2:07.763. The Portuguese would not improve in the rest of the session, but maintained a strong pace and was second on the timesheet, giving him optimism for tomorrow’s qualifying session. 

#44 Miguel Oliveira

“It was a good first day here at Silverstone. The bike was always working well, so we haven’t changed many things, and we have grown and grown. I’m happy about how things have gone so hopefully the weather conditions are going to be favourable tomorrow as well. I hope I can take a risk to be on either the first or second row -as always- and give my all. Tomorrow we will do a ‘contrast test,’ if you can call it that, because we don’t have much to do on the bike. We must also adjust my riding a bit”.

Qualifying takes place on Saturday at 3:05pm local time.

Results (Combined practice times FP1-FP2)

1. Alex Marquez (Kalex) 2:07.491

2. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2:07.763 +0.272

3. Mattia Pasini (Kalex) 2:07.774 +0.283

4. Dominique Aegerter (Suter) 2:08.139 +0.648

5. Takaaki Nakagami (Kalex) 2:08.139 +0.648

The former airfield of the Royal Air Force Station, now known as the Silverstone Circuit, will this weekend host the twelfth round of the Moto2 season. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider arrives at Silverstone leaving behind a fall in the Austrian GP race, when he fought for a place on the podium, a few laps of the chess flag. He faces the British GP with optimism and convinced that he will take a further step forward this weekend.

Oliveira miraculously emerged unscathed from his heavy crash during the race at the Red Bull Ring. He was even able to participate in the test held the following Monday at the Austrian track. Already fully recovered from the fall, Oliveira hopes to fight for the podium at the longest circuit on the calendar. His best result at Silverstone thus far was in the 2014 season in Moto3, when he finished fourth.

#44 MIGUEL OLIVEIRA

“The British GP is usually a very important weekend for the World Championship. It’s a tricky circuit, the longest of the season, with a mixture of very interesting corners and hard braking, where you have to turn the bike a lot, and with some slow corners. It’s not easy to find the perfect setup for the bike and it is easy to make a mistake and lose points. I’m confident that we can do a good job and very motivated after the crash in Austria. Fortunately, I'm at 100% physically."

Exceptionally, due to a clash with Formula 1, the Moto2 race will be held at 2pm local time on Sunday.

Circuit information – Silverstone

Length: 5.900m / 3.666 miles

Width: 17 metres

Left corners: 8

Right corners: 10

Longest straight: 770m / 0.478 miles

Constructed: 1948

Modified: 2011

Miguel Oliveira was a protagonist in today's epic Moto2 race, at the Austrian GP. The young portuguese rider started in the 3rd row, 8th position; in the first laps got involved in a battle with is teammate, Brad Binder, and Francesco Bagnaia, which ultimately cost him time to the leading group.

After being able to overcome the opponents, Oliveira made a sequence of quick laps that allowed him not only to reach the leading group, but also to be the best rider on track, while retrieving the almost 3 seconds disadvantage he had. With 5 laps remaining to the finish, Miguel Oliveira lost the rear wheel grip in turn 8 and he could’t avoid the crash, which ended his race.

The young Red Bull KTM Ajo pilot was transported to the circuit’s hospital for medical examinations, which dictated him able to run.

#44 Miguel Oliveira

“It was a very positive race. We had been able to close the gap to the front group after they escaped on the opening laps, and five laps from the end I could see that we had victory within reach. It was very important to take this step forward after having had difficulties in practice. It’s a shame about the crash; I lost the rear wheel and was thrown off the bike. Luckily nothing is broken, although my whole body is very sore. Tomorrow we have a day of testing, but I don’t know if I'm going to be fit in time”.

Miguel Oliveira is now 4th in the Moto2 World Championship Standing, with 133 points, at only 30 points from the spanish Alex Marquez.

The next race for the Red Bull KTM Ajo team will be at Silverstone, in the British Grand Prix between August 25th-27th. However, tomorrow they will have a day of testing at the Red Bull Ring.

Results (Race)

1. Franco Morbidelli (Kalex) 37:39.370

2. Alex Marquez (Kalex) +1.312

3. Thomas Luthi (Kalex) +2.544

4. Francesco Bagnaia (Kalex) +3.070

5. Mattia Pasini (Kalex) +3.745

DNF. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo)

Moto2 World Championship Standing 2017

1. Franco Morbidelli (Kalex) 207 points

2. Thomas Luthi (Kalex) 181 points

3. Alex Marquez (Kalex) 153 points

4. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 133 points

5. Francesco Bagnaia (Kalex) 100 points