Year: 2023

After a sweaty weekend at the Sachsenring, in Germany, Miguel Oliveira had a happy ending this Sunday. In 30 demanding laps, the CyptoData RNF MotoGP Team rider managed to finish the weekend's long race inside the top 10 and therefore score points in what was the seventh round of the 2023 MotoGP World Championship.

For Sunday's race, Oliveira, who qualified 16th, started from 15th on the grid due to the absence of Marc Márquez. Despite having again suffered a strong impact on his left shoulder this Friday, the Portuguese rider performed a stubborn race. He gained two positions on his good start and after a strong first lap, he started to pick up pace. Despite the pain, Miguel Oliveira continued on, rising to P12 on lap 18 and 11th right after. With four laps to go, he made the top 10 and passed the checkered flag in a brave effort still within that group of riders.

"It is a pleasing result, especially because we could be competitive and challenging every lap for the best we can. I couldn't really push myself to the maximum, because once I lose strength in the left shoulder, it felt like it can pop out again. So, I really had to protect myself and ride in a way that I'm not really comfortable with. Anyway, it's a good effort from me and the team and we look forward to go to Assen and see how the Aprilia performs there​", reveals Miguel Oliveira.

It should be remembered that Miguel Oliveira crashed on Friday, when he fell at turn 10, during the second training session of the day, which caused him new pain in his shoulder, which is still recovering. Prior to that, it narrowly missed out on direct entry into Q2 by just 0.160 seconds.

On Saturday, the Charneca de Caparica rider tried to manage his injury and regain some confidence in the day's work, having qualified in P16. For the sprint race of the day, Miguel started from the 6th row on the grid. With a turbulent start, the Portuguese rider lost some positions and found himself in P19 at the end of the first lap, but throughout the race he recovered his pace, gained a few meters and crossed the finish line in 16th position.

Now, the CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team is packing its bags and heading to Assen, Holland, for the third round of a three-race sequence, the third round which will be the last Grand Prix before the summer break.

Just a few days off and Miguel Oliveira and the CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team are back on track this weekend for the seventh round of the 2023 MotoGP World Championship season, which is the second race of a triple header ahead of the summer break, taking place in Sachsenring, Germany. Following the Italian Grand Prix, Miguel Oliveira had a much clearer idea of his level and expectations after coming back from injury last week.

For Oliveira the Mugello weekend hasn’t been an easy one as he was still suffering a lot from pain in his left shoulder. Nevertheless, he grit his teeth to do the full weekend as competitive as possible. He adapted his riding style a bit and therewith scored some decent results until he unfortunately went down around halfway through the race. Yet, the Portuguese hero is very motivated to try and push further in Germany this weekend.

“Obviously after the result we had in Mugello, we are looking forward and are happy that this week we already have a chance to redeem ourselves to get a nice result for the team. Sachsenring is a track that I like. I saw the Aprilia’s were competitive there last year, so I want to do well there and see if we can get a little step closer to my full recovery to 100%”, said Miguel Oliveira.

The German Grand Prix weekend starts as usual with Practice one and two on Friday at 09:45 and 02 p.m, portuguese time. The long race this sunday will take place at 1 p.m, portuguese time.

Following a difficult start to the season, Miguel Oliveira and the CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team aims to be back in full formation this weekend for round six of the 2023 season, set amidst the beautiful Tuscan hills at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello, Italy. This eagerly awaited event marks the return of both Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez to the circuit, as they are determined to kick off the Grand Prix weekend following their recovery from injuries sustained in the previous rounds.

The Portuguese hero crashed through no fault of his own at the Spanish Grand Prix more than five weeks ago and injured his shoulder, which is still preventing him from feeling 100% comfortable on a bike. Nevertheless, Oliveira remains determined to regain his fitness to be declared fit on Thursday in order to try his Aprilia RS-GP in Free Practice one on Friday and attempt a comeback following his very unlucky beginning of 2023.

“I’m really, really looking forward to go to Mugello. For sure now the biggest question mark is how I’m going to be physically able to handle a tough track like this on the MotoGP bike. The last few days, I felt an improvement, so hopefully that can be enough for me to arrive and be competitive. That’s the main target. I know that I need more experience with the bike and I need more races, but at this time it’s a priority to come back strong and at 100%. I will go to Mugello with that in mind and hopefully we can turn it into a good weekend. I’m looking forward to see all the team again”, says Miguel Oliveira.

The race weekend in Mugello starts as usual with a 45 minutes Practice one on Friday morning at 09:45 portuguese time followed by Practice two from 2p.m to 3p.m..

Miguel Oliveira, rider of the CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team, will not be able to participate in the next French Grand Prix, at Le Mans, due to a shoulder injury suffered in the last round held in Jerez de La Frontera, Spain. At the time of the incident, the Charneca de Caparica rider was immediately assisted by the circuit's Medical Centre, with the medical team successfully repositioning his dislocated left shoulder, but further clinical assessments revealed a more serious injury, including a fractured Humerus and an injury to the anterior labrum ligament.

Although Oliveira and his doctors have decided against a possible surgical intervention, the Portuguese will need to focus on the healing process and will not be able to participate in the French round, scheduled for the dates between 12 and 14 May.

In the absence of Miguel Oliveira, Cryptodata RNF MotoGP Team will bet on Lorenzo Savadori. As Aprilia's official test rider, Savadori had already had the opportunity to familiarize himself with the team and conditions during the official MotoGP test at Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto last Monday.

The 4th round of the MotoGP World Championship took place between the 28th and 30th of April, at Jerez de La Frontera, southern Spain. A weekend that began with Miguel Oliveira going straight to Q2, who showed strong progress throughout the sessions held and a very good and promising result in the sprint race on Saturday, with P5. On Sunday, race day, the Portuguese rider, in front of a house full of spectators, was knocked down again in a collision with other riders, resulting in a fall and injury, and consequent inability to compete in the Spanish GP.

Friday was marked by the usual training sessions (P1 and P2). Oliveira showed his consistent progress during the morning, but a technical issue on the last lap meant that he ended up finishing “Practice 1” in P13.

With temperatures rising for "Practice 2", the Portuguese rider managed to substantially improve his time by 0.677 seconds, to settle in P7 on the day's combined time table, and thus ensure direct entry to Q2 the following day, Saturday.

"The first practice was a bit disappointing at the end because we had a little problem with the front brake and we couldn't do the time attack at the end. We knew it was a good opportunity, in terms of temperature and wind conditions, to attack, but it wasn't ideal. However, we got the most out of the second practice, we did a good job and all the Aprilias were very competitive. (…) We always go our own way, but it's good when we perform very close to our colleagues factory in Q2", says Miguel Oliveira.

Saturday was strong and somewhat spectacular for the Cryptodata RNF MotoGP Team. Miguel Oliveira demonstrated his mastery and speed on the track in yet another free practice session, having led the time sheet in P1.

During Qualifying, it started to rain, but the Charneca de Caparica rider, who left on slicks for the track, experienced mixed feelings and managed the 7th fastest lap of the session, just 0.138 seconds from the 1st row of the starting grid.

The Sprint Race took place under summer temperatures on Spanish soil. However, some collisions on the first lap meant that the race – originally scheduled with 12 laps – had to restart, this time with 11 laps.

At the start of the Sprint Race, Oliveira left the front seat on the 3rd row of the ‘grid’ and achieved an extraordinary start. Then, with the restart of the race, Miguel was already in 6th place at the end of the 1st lap and kept his pace, fighting with his Aprilia colleague Aleix Espargaró, until the Spaniard crashed on the 6th lap. The rider from Almada then managed to pass to 5th with just 5 laps to go and defended himself from Dani Pedrosa's overtaking attempts until he passed the checkered flag. Got 5 points for P5 in the Sprint Race.

"It was a difficult race. I felt that when the race restarted, we didn't change the tire and that may have compromised us a little bit in the option of doing a better result. It was difficult to manage the front of the bike. I didn't have the best feeling and the better grip on the left side of the rear to be as competitive as the other riders in front of me. But we had that information to improve for the long race", says the Portuguese rider of Cryptodata RNF MotoGP Team.

Practically sold out on Sunday, the Angél Nieto Circuit had a house full of enthusiastic spectators waiting to witness 'in person' the teams and riders in Sunday's race, scheduled to take place with 25 laps, along the 4,420km of track. But, a new episode of collision, still on the 1st lap, set the unexpected tone for the rest of the race.

With a place on the starting grid in P7, Miguel Oliveira had a good start, but was unfortunately sidelined on the 1st lap. His race came to an abrupt end at turn 2 after he collided with several riders. The race was red flagged and Oliveira was immediately taken to the medical centre, where it was revealed that he had dislocated his left shoulder. Later, at the local hospital in Jerez de La Frontera, a fracture was also found at this point.

“This beginning of the year is by far the one I envisioned. Today 'luck' knocked on the door again and as a result I dislocated my shoulder. I will carry out further tests to understand the extent of the injury. Faith and patience in the recovery and looking forward”, commented Miguel Oliveira at the end of the day on Sunday, also leaving a thanks message to all the fans, for their support.

In the next coming days, will be revealed more details of his clinical progression and the possibility of being considered fit for the next GP in Le Mans, France, the 5th round of the MotoGP World Championship, which takes place between May 12th and 14th.

Following an eventful opening of the 2023 season in Portugal, Argentina and lately in Austin, Texas, the MotoGP World Championship returns to Europe this weekend with one of the classics in the calendar. Miguel Oliveira and the CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team are eager to compete at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto this weekend for the Spanish Grand Prix -, one of three home rounds for Miguel Oliveira’s team rider.

Following a strong catch up in the Sprint race as well as in the main race of the Americas Grand Prix last time out, Miguel Oliveira showed a strong comeback after being forced to sit out the second round of 2023. Starting from P15 at Austin, he finished eighth in the Sprint and in an impressive fifth position of the full-length race on Sunday, collecting a total if 13 World Championship points. This weekend, the Portuguese star hopes to continue his progress aboard the Aprilia RS-GP, making similar moves with a better starting grid position.

“I’m confident after Austin, which was a track, that is difficult for me. Coming back from the injury, it was nice to score some points. The goal for Jerez will remain the same, continue on this line in scoring points in both races. Hopefully we can make another step forward in terms of speed and improving the Qualifying. I’m looking forward to discover Jerez with the Aprilia. I’m very motivated”, said Miguel Oliveira.

The fourth of 20 (and not 21) rounds in 2023 – Kazakhstan GP was recently cancelled – starts this Friday with Free Practice one at 09:45 Portuguese local time, followed by Free Practice two at 14:00. Apart from Saturday’s action-packed program, Sunday will see the main race starting 14:00 Portuguese local time.

Back in competition, after an unfortunate incident in the first race of the MotoGP Championship, at Portimão, Algarve, Miguel Oliveira managed to leave a positive mark in Austin, Texas, with a promising top 5, on the same weekend that he reached the mark of 200 GP's held throughout his career.

The weekend got off to a good start on what is considered to be one of the most demanding circuits on the MotoGP calendar. After being declared fit to compete, Miguel Oliveira was excited to be back on his Aprilia RS-GP and finished Friday's free practices in P15, having shown a progression of 1s321 from FP1 to FP2. However, two crashes in this second session delayed it from climbing the timesheets, opening up this opportunity for a potential entry into Q2 the following day.

Saturday was a recovery day for the Cryptodata Aprilia RNF MotoGP Team rider, with Oliveira managing to improve his personal best by 0s277 compared to the previous day, which left him in fifth position, but without access to Q2.

For the Sprint Race, Miguel Oliveira started from the 5th row of the starting grid, 15th. He performed an impressive first lap, moving up six places to P9, and lapped nimbly into the fight for points over the 10-lap race. With two laps to go, he manages to position himself in eighth place, a position he defended until passing the checkered flag and which allowed him to win two important points for the championship.

"It wasn't ideal to start from 15th, but we managed to make the best of the situation and recover some positions. We did what we wanted – to add points in the sprint, which is the hardest to achieve", says the Charneca de Caparica driver.

On Sunday, Miguel Oliveira started the day with a strong warm-up performance, setting the third best time of the session and preparing the 'ground' for an exciting race day.

Starting from 15th place on the grid, Oliveira knew he had a long way to go and a tough race ahead of him. A "Falcão start" catapulted him from P15 to P9 in the first sector. During the rest of the first lap, the Portuguese regained one more position and crossed the line in a strong eighth place. Miguel Oliveira continued at a blistering pace throughout the grueling 20 laps of the race and by mid-race he had moved up to sixth, consistently posting lap times as fast as the pack leaders. On lap 14, he even overtook championship leader Marco Bezzecchi, settling into fifth position, and bringing home 13 valuable World Championship points.

"The race was a bit eventful because of the crashes and the wind. We knew since the Warm Up that the conditions today were going to be a bit more tough. It was a challenge not to crash the first couple of laps, but then we managed to get a good pace and get into a rhythm that was comfortable. The team made an incredible job today, giving me a great and fast bike that performed well. Finally, it is a small victory for us to end fifth on a track, which is normally not great to me, and at the same time, it was my first race for Aprilia, that I could finish. So, I'm happy to get my season restarted like this", said proudly Miguel Oliveira.

Now, the entire MotoGP caravan returns home and prepares to return to Europe in less than 15 days at the Spanish circuit of Jerez de la Frontera, scheduled for the last weekend of April.

Miguel Oliveira, the CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team rider, is gearing up for the third round of the 2023 MotoGP World Championship, set to take place at the Circuit Of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas (14-16th april). The team is eagerly awaiting the event and hopes to have a full squad on hand to compete.

Miguel Oliveira, who suffered an unfortunate injury at his home circuit round less than three weeks ago, is ready to come back to racing this week and has already travelled to the United States full of expectations. However, he needs to pass a medical test tomorrow, Thursday, in order to be declared fit to race after damaging tendons in his right leg. Despite the setback, Oliveira has some good sensations regarding his recovery and aims to make a touch-and-go landing.

“I’m obviously excited to start the trip to the US. It was a shame for me to have missed the Argentina GP, but I’m really looking forward to start again working with the team and discover the bike again on this track. It has not been an easy track for me in the past, so I hope that this year I can start turning things around and start the weekend strong. To score points in both the Sprint and the main Race would be really nice and of course important after not being able to do anything the last three opportunities basically. So, overall, I’m very excited”, said Miguel Oliveira with confidence.

The American weekend starts this Friday with the first two Free Practice sessions at 04:45 p.m and 09:00 p.m. (Portuguese local hour) for the premier class, ahead of a busy Saturday with the new Sprint Race format, which riders and teams still need to get used to. The long race will take place on Sunday, about 9 p.m. (Portuguese local hour).

Miguel Oliveira's return to competition is scheduled for the Americas GP, which takes place between April 14th and 16th. And it will also be that weekend that Miguel Oliveira will reach an important milestone in his career as a rider in the MotoGP world championship, with his 200th Grand Prix. This feat will then be achieved at Circuit of the Americas, in Texas, United States of America, which marks the third race of the 2023 MotoGP championship, the year in which Oliveira makes his debut in the Cryptodata Aprilia RNF team, at the controls of an Aprilia RS-GP.

With this special brand in mind, the Charneca de Caparica rider and his official Fan Club – the Miguel Oliveira Fan Club – have just made available a commemorative T-shirt, a collector's item limited to a reduced stock of 200 units.

The 199 races held to date by Miguel Oliveira have been divided into four categories (MotoGP, Moto2, Moto3 and 125cc), and are equivalent, for example, to 200 Sundays in a row of competition or four years of racing without any interruption.

It is recalled that Miguel Oliveira throughout these total number of Grand Prix stepped on the podium 41 times:

• having sounded “A Portuguesa” 17 times (six in Moto3 and also in Moto2, and five in MotoGP),

• managed to conquer the second step of the podium 13 times (four in Moto3, seven in Moto2 and two in MotoGP) and

• having finished on the podium in P3 11 times (three in Moto3 and eight in Moto2).

Oliveira also managed to take five pole positions over the course of these 200 Grands Prix (two in Moto3 and also in Moto2, and one in MotoGP) and set the fastest lap in a race 12 times (six times in Moto3, four times in Moto2 and twice in MotoGP).

The GP 200 MO88 commemorative T-shirt can be purchased here: https://migueloliveirafanclub.pt/produto/tshirt-gp-200-mo88/ and will be shipped from April 30, 2023.

Local hero and MotoGP rider Miguel Oliveira will not be participating in the upcoming Argentina Grand Prix due to a recent injury. Following his crash at the Portuguese Grand Prix, Oliveira underwent further testing in his hometown where further damage have been revealed, which doesn’t allow him to start the second GP of the season.

Despite the setback, Oliveira remains committed to his goal of being competitive in the World Championship and will focus on his recovery in order to return to the saddle of his Aprilia RS-GP at round three of the season in Austin, Texas just two weeks later.

CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP team announced that he will not be replaced in Argentina.