Month: April 2018

Miguel Oliveira was able to place on the podium at the Circuit Of The Americas, one of the few tracks on the calendar where he had not been on the rostrum before, on Sunday. Coming through from the fourth row of the grid, the Portuguese worked his way up the order lap after lap, to finally finish in a magnificent third position.

Starting from the fourth, Miguel Oliveira did not have an easy task ahead. However, he got off the line well, completing the first lap in eighth place. From there, the Portuguese began to push and gain places as the laps went by. A key moment in his race came with 8 laps remaining, when he was able to get into third place and start a final charge. Despite escaping and cutting the gap to the rider in second place, he would finish just over 1 second behind, in third.

Aki Ajo – Team Manager

"We should be very happy with the results of the Moto2 race in Austin today, and even more so after the qualifying session yesterday –which didn’t go as expected after a good Friday of Free Practice sessions. Racing is like that sometimes, so of course we need to analyse what happened on Saturday in depth. Today I am very proud of the team and our riders. I thank them for the work done throughout the entire weekend."

#44 Miguel Oliveira

“I am very tired after today's race, because it was a very interesting, demanding round, and also very tough when starting from a position so far back on the grid. The start was not easy, but in the end I was able to avoid contact with other riders on the first corner. Later, as the laps went on, it was difficult because we were skidding around a lot. It was not the perfect weekend for us, but we are back on the podium for the second consecutive race and this makes me happy. Now it's time to go back to Europe and face a circuit where we have ridden a lot: Jerez!”.

After the first three races of the season, the Moto2 World Championship now heads to Europe. Miguel Oliveira will come into the Red Bull Spanish GP at Jerez -on May 6th- in fourth place overall with 43 points.

Results (Race)

1. Francesco Bagnaia (Kalex) 39:30.016

2. Alex Marquez (Kalex) +2.464

3. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +3.704

4. Joan Mir (Kalex) +5.376

5. Iker Lecuona (KTM) +6.867

Moto2 World Championship Standing 2018

1. Francesco Bagnaia (Kalex) 57 points

2. Mattia Pasini (Kalex) 47 points

3. Alex Marquez (Kalex) 47 points

4. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 43 points

5. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Kalex) 39 points

Miguel Oliveira experienced a strange Saturday at the Circuit of The Americas. After completing the three Free Practice sessions as the fastest rider, the Red Bull KTM Ajo Portuguese rider was unable to repeat his best times in qualifying, and will start the Red Bull GP of The Americas from the fourth row.

Flags indicating rain were shown right from the start of FP3, but the rainfall was so mild and intermittent that Miguel Oliveira rode fast with slicks -albeit without improving his times from yesterday. Miguel Oliveira headed the timesheets for a spell. Finally, the rain sent all the riders back to the pits a few minutes before the 45 minute long session ended, with the Portuguese rider in fourth -2:11.298.

In qualifying, the rain made way for a completely cloudy sky, but that allowed the riders in the intermediate class to go out again with slicks. However, right from the start the Red Bull KTM Ajo Portuguese rider did not have the same feeling as before, and he was outside the Top5. Miguel Oliveira has not been able to repeat his best times from the weekend, settling for twelfth -2:11.321.

Miguel Oliveira #44

“Overall, it’s been a tough day. The track conditions for qualifying saw the grip level improve greatly. The temperature was lower, there was more rubber laid down and the track was cleaner, but in our case we found that difficult with new tyres and were unable to set a good lap time. In spite of that, we were only 3 tenths off third position. We have to try to improve the setup in the warmup ahead of the race. It will be a long race, so we will try to start well and make up positions”.

Despite starting from further back than expected, Miguel Oliveira will look to get his good feeling back on raceday and ride at the front. The race will start at 6:20pm, Portuguese local time.

Results (Qualifying session)

1. Alex Marquez (Kalex) 2:10.588

2. Sam Lowes (KTM) 2:10.744 +0.156

3. Mattia Pasini (Kalex) 2:10.993 +0.405

4. Francesco Bagnaia (Kalex) 2:11.009 +0.421

5. Joan Mir (Kalex) 2:11.124 +0.536

12. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2:11.321 +0.733

Friday was a magnificent first day at the Circuit of The Americas for Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 Portuguese rider Miguel Oliveira. The 23 year old rider was the man to beat, taking the top spot in both FP1 and FP2.

Dust on some parts of the track did not prove to be a problem for Miguel Oliveira, who dominated FP1 from start to finish. He led the way in the opening minutes, improving his own times until just before the chequered flag fell and clocking a top lap of 2:12.104. 

In FP2, the Red Bull KTM Ajo Portuguese rider encountered a cleaner track, which allowed him to ride in the 2:11s from the start. The script remained unchanged for Miguel Oliveira, however, who immediately resumed his position at the top of the timesheets. His 2:11.104 time made him the best rider in the afternoon session.

#44 Miguel Oliveira

“I felt good on this opening day of the Red Bull GP of The Americas. Besides topping the timesheets, I also think that we did a good job with the race in mind. Unlike last year, the track isn't in the best condition, so you can't lose focus at any time. We will see what happens tomorrow because the forecast is for rain, so we hope to find the best setup for a good spot on the grid. We're satisfied with the work we did today, and tomorrow we will continue in the same way, whatever the conditions might be”.

Tomorrow, Miguel Oliveira will look for a position on the starting grid that avoids the need for a raceday fightback. Qualifying takes place at 9:05pm Portuguese local time, and is expected to be contested in wet conditions.

Results (Combined practice times FP1-FP2)

1. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2:11.104

2. Sam Lowes (KTM) 2:11.125 +0.021

3. Alex Marquez (Kalex) 2:11.173 +0.069

4. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2:11.339 +0.235

5. Joan Mir (Kalex) 2:11.450 +0.346

For the third consecutive year, the Circuit Of The Americas in Austin will be the venue for the only Moto2 round held in the United States. It is a Grand Prix to which the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 Portuguese rider arrives with having taken his first podium of the season in Argentina.

There are few circuits on this year’s calendar where Miguel Oliveira has not placed on the podium, and Austin is one of them. This is a challenge that the Portuguese wants to overcome this weekend. The podium he achieved two weeks ago in Argentina, after fighting for the victory throughout the race, will serve as additional motivation. Last year, in his first experience of the track with the KTM, he claimed a commendable sixth place.

Miguel Oliveira #44

“Honestly, the podium we achieved in Argentina gives us a little more peace of mind to face this third round. In any case, the Circuit Of The Americas is a very tricky circuit, with many changes of direction. We have to take advantage of all the track time we have available. Last year we didn’t have our best weekend, but even so we finished sixth, so we will at least try to improve on that result on Sunday. With the experience we have from last year, we will try to do our best”.

The third round of the season will be the last before a run of European events. The Moto2 race will start at 3:10pm portuguese local time, on Sunday, and will consist of 18 laps.

Friday, 20th of april

16h55 – 17h40: Moto2 FP1

21h05 – 21h50: Moto2 FP2

Saturday, 21st of april

16h55 – 17h40: Moto2 FP3

21h05 – 21h50: Moto2 Qualifying

Sunday, 22nd of april

15h10 – 15h30: Moto2 Warm Up

18h20: Moto2 Race

Circuit information – Circuit of The Americas (COTA)

Length: 5.513 m / 3.426 miles

Width: 15 metres

Left corners: 11

Right corners: 9

Longest straight: 1.200 m / 0.746 miles

Constructed: 2012

In the second race of 2018, Miguel Oliveira took his first podium of the season -coincidentally at the same place where he did so last year. Third place in Argentina came after a hard-fought race on a mixed surface, which made things tough for the Moto2 field.

The 23-lap contest at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit provided a big challenge for the intermediate class, due to the presence of damp patches around the track. With the entire grid choosing to run slick tyres, Miguel Oliveira got off to good starts: The Portuguese gained four places on the opening corner. 

Miguel Oliveira rode practically the entire race in the podium spots, and led the way both on Lap 13 and with 6 laps to go. However, contact with a rival rider on that same lap dropped him down to third, where he stayed until the chequered flag.

Miguel Oliveira #44

“I think that during today's race I left the door wide open, above all on the final corner, and that caused me to lose positions at times. I knew that the race would be like it was, with many places where overtaking was possible. I felt very strong, I had pace and I had speed, but it was simply that my lines weren't defensive enough. I had a bit of bad luck, I lost time and, when there were three laps to go, Vierge overtook me and I couldn't do much more. With this podium the situation is very positive, we are taking a lot of points home and we have been performing as we habitually do. I'm very happy with this third place”.

Aki Ajo – Team Manager

"In Moto2 the weekend was challenging with the weather. We had a good feeling in dry conditions that made us face a possible race like that with confidence. Yesterday was different; in FP3 we had a good performance in the wet but in the qualifying session we could not improve, and we took positions on the starting grid that were not as good as we would have liked.

Miguel [Oliveira] made a good start and began the race well, competing in the top positions. With the difficult track conditions we had today, we have to be very happy with his third place. (…) This start of the season has not been perfect but we are confident that in the next few races we will be closer to the victory.”

Following the Argentinian GP, Miguel Oliveira is fifth in the overall standings with 27 points. The next round of the Moto2 World Championship season takes place on April 22nd, in Austin, USA.

Results (Race)

1. Mattia Pasini (Kalex) 40:37.538

2. Xavi Vierge (Kalex) +0.850

3. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +1.414

4. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Kalex) +5.178

5. Alex Marquez (Kalex) +5.431 

Moto2 World Championship Standing 2018

1. Mattia Pasini (Kalex) 38 points

2. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Kalex) 33 points

3. Francesco Bagnaia (Kalex) 32 points

4. Xavi Vierge (Kalex) 28 points

5. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 27 points

The rain played a big part in the second Moto2 World Championship qualifying session of the year, held this afternoon at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit. Miguel Oliveira had been inside the Top3 for every practice session, but in qualifying he placed seventh. Despite this, Miguel Oliveira is confident that he can fight for the podium in tomorrow's race.

Intermittent light rain during FP3 allowed the Moto2 23 year old rider to try out wet tyres on the track for the first time, on an asphalt that has been partially resurfaced this year. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider was competitive in such conditions, with Oliveira in third position -1:57.880-.

The rain fell again right as Moto2 QP got underway. This meant that Miguel Oliveira hurried to set a good lap time before the asphalt condition worsened. The Portuguese rider achieved his best lap time in the first 15 minutes. In fourth place during most of the session, changes of positions in the final minutes relegated him to seventh -1:57.006-.

Miguel Oliveira #44

"It was a bit of a strange qualifying session, because it wasn't raining at the start -and then it rained only at certain points of the track. To tell the truth, when it was raining more intensely I didn't feel completely comfortable on the bike, and that meant that I couldn't improve my time.

We're starting from seventh, which isn't bad at all, but we'd like to be further forward on the grid. We will have to have some good opening laps and regain as many positions as possible, in order to latch onto the frontrunners".

Tomorrow's race will start at 5:20pm Portuguese local time. Last year, Miguel Oliveira got his first podium in the intermediate class in Argentina.

Results (Qualifying session)

1. Xavi Vierge (Kalex) 1:56.137

2. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Kalex) 1:56.408 +0.271

3. Danny Kent (Speed Up) 1:56.536 +0.399

4. Mattia Pasini (Kalex) 1:56.591 +0.454

5. Jorge Navarro (Kalex) 1:56.679 +0.542

7. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:57.006 +0.869

The second Grand Prix of the year -and the only round held in South America- got underway this Friday at the Autodromo Termas de Rio Hondo. The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 Portuguese rider had a great first day, completing FP1 and FP2 among the fastest on track and having the best pace. Second position for Miguel Oliveira on the combined timesheet allows him to aspire to the podium on Sunday.

Miguel Oliveira came out very strong in the first Free Practice of the weekend. He was permanent fixture at the sharp end of the timesheet. Miguel Oliveira finished the session in second -1:44.631-, less than 3 tenths off the fastest rider.

In the afternoon, the rain made an appearance and made work somewhat more difficult. Before the first drops fell, Miguel Oliveira was in first. However, after a quarter of an hour, the light shower slowed down the pace and prevented the Portuguese rider from improving on his morning times. The rain intensified with 18 minutes to go, forcing him to enter the pits. Finally, Oliveira finished second -1:44.805-, 3 thousandths of a second off the best time of the session.

Miguel Oliveira #44

"Today has been a very productive day. We had a first session in which we were looking at what the new asphalt was like. At the end of the day we were able to put in a lot of laps and we were lucky with the weather, as it didn't rain until the middle of the second session. We were hoping to improve our lap times a little in the afternoon and see what the bike needed to finish defining the setup, but it started to rain. Tomorrow I think that if the weather is good we can have a good qualifying session, in order to begin the race with a chance."

After today's results, expectations for tomorrow's QP are high. The starting grid for Sunday will be decided from 5:30pm portuguese local time.

Results (Combined practice times FP1-FP2)

1. Mattia Pasini (Kalex) 1:44.461

2. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:44.631 +0.170

3. Francesco Bagnaia (Kalex) 1:44.736 +0.275

4. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:44.745 +0.284

5. Alex Marquez (Kalex) 1:44.802 +0.341

After two weeks rest following the inaugural event of the season in Qatar, Miguel Oliveira faces the only South American round of the year. Argentina already holds special memories for Miguel Oliveira, who is hoping to continue his positive experience on the fifth MotoGP visit to the Termas de Rio Hondo Circuit.

Fifth position in Qatar did not meet Oliveira's expectations for the season opener. The Portuguese wants at least a podium finish in Argentina, where he placed on the rostrum for the first time in the intermediate class last year. In addition to his second position, he also took his maiden pole position in Moto2 that weekend. These results should serve as a motivation for the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider at a circuit which has had some sections laid with new asphalt.

Miguel Oliveira #44

“After the first round of the season in Qatar we’ve had plenty of time to spend at home, training. I've been riding bikes a lot, in order not to lose my feel for it. I'm really looking forward to returning to Termas de Rio Hondo because I enjoy riding there a lot; We have achieved good results there as well. I don’t have a clear objective; I will just continue working as we have always done to try to at least improve a little on the result from the first race. That would be a positive first step. We must remain among the top positions”

Unlike last year, the Moto2 practice and qualifying sessions won't close each day. Qualifying will begin at 5:30pm; The second race of the year will take place at 5:20pm portuguese local time on Sunday.

Circuit information – Autodromo Termas de Rio Hondo

Length: 4.806 m / 2.986 miles

Width: 16 metres

Left corners: 5

Right corners: 9

Longest straight: 1.076 m / 0.669 miles

Constructed: 2008

Modified: 2012

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