Month: August 2024

The Almada rider started from eighth position and made a good start, gaining three positions in the first few corners and securing a solid position among the best in the race.

In the early stages of the race, Miguel Oliveira managed to overtake Pecco Bagnaia before consolidating his position in the top five. With a consistent performance, he finished the race as the best Aprilia rider on track.

After the sprint, Miguel Oliveira was satisfied with the result, but also highlighted the difficulties he faced throughout the race. “We obviously have to look at the positive aspects. We gained three positions in the sprint and finished in the points, which is always good. But on the other hand, I felt quite slow on the bike, I wasn't competitive enough,” admitted the rider.

The track conditions at Aragon complicated tire management, which was a constant concern. “I have no grip to stop and it was very difficult to manage the degradation of the rear tire and also difficult to manage the front tire. The track is very tricky for us,” he explained, referring to the difficulty in maintaining the pace needed to compete with the drivers in front.

The weekend's weather conditions, with rain the day before, complicated the team's preparation, forcing strategic changes to the bike's configuration. “Qualifying didn't go well, I couldn't get comfortable on the bike. We tried two configurations, one in the morning and one now in the sprint, but we still lack a lot of performance compared to the riders in front of us,” explained the Portuguese rider. “You feel like the bike is going to slip away and then suddenly it grabs the asphalt. It's difficult to find a balance,” he added. 

Miguel Oliveira's focus is now on Sunday's main race. “For tomorrow, I predict it will be more difficult, but the team is trying to figure out what we can do to get the best out of the package we have. There's a great chance of getting good points tomorrow, so we're totally focused on that,” he said, showing his usual resilience and competitive spirit.

Listen to Miguel Oliveira's full statements after the second day of the Aragon GP here:

The Almada rider secured direct qualification for the second qualifying round (Q2) at the Aragon Grand Prix today, taking tenth place during timed practice.

The day began with promising signs. Miguel Oliveira was seventh fastest in the morning's free practice session. The afternoon brought additional difficulties, with the rider feeling less comfortable on the bike: “It was a bit of a strange session, perhaps one of the most difficult I've been on the bike, but the team reacted well and we made some modifications which, although not perfect, allowed me to secure a place in the top 10.” 

Despite facing difficulties with the setup of the Aprilia RS-GP24, especially after the experience in Spielberg, the Almada rider once again showed his ability to adapt. “We kept some ideas from Spielberg, but maybe we need to go back to our normal setup. Despite everything, we were able to identify areas for improvement.” 

After testing various tire combinations throughout the race, Miguel Oliveira opted for a used soft tire at the front and a new one at the rear in the final moments of the session, which ended up bringing significant improvements to the rider's performance.

This direct qualification for Q2 not only saves work on Saturday morning, but also allows the rider to fight for a place on the front rows of the starting grid. “I'm happy to have a clear direction for tomorrow and that we managed to secure a place in Q2, which is always an important goal,” concluded Miguel Oliveira.

Listen to Miguel Oliveira's full statements after the first day of the Aragon GP here: 

Portuguese rider Miguel Oliveira tells us about today's performance at the Red Bull Ring: 

Speaking to the Portuguese channel Sport TV, the rider recognizes that the Red Bull Ring is a special circuit, but remains focused on the present and on achieving good results during the weekend.

As the Austrian Grand Prix comes closer, Miguel Oliveira underlines his confidence for Spielberg, and sets himself the goal of “being in the top 10 at the end of the second afternoon practice”, aiming for a “different approach to close the gap we see on Sunday with the Ducati”, also opting to work and think about the tires that will be used. 

Asked about the uncertain weather conditions and the difficulties the Aprilia has suffered at the Red Bull Ring, Falcão reassures: “It could be a more positive weekend than it was last year, all the circuits with this 2024 bike, where in the past we suffered a lot, we seem to have suffered less this year (…) it's a stop & go circuit, a lot of long braking and we spend a lot of time at the limits of the engine, we'll approach the weekend as if it's all dry, and if the rain comes we'll be ready.” 

Talking about his future and his permanence in MotoGP, the Almada rider calms his fans down: “Things are very well on track regarding my future, we are very close to concluding a positive agreement with Yamaha Pramac”. He adds that nothing will be announced during the Austrian GP and guarantees total commitment to his current team this season: “Until Valencia, I'm a TrackhouseMoto rider.” 

After an unfortunate end to the Silverstone race, the Almada rider is optimistic for the Austrian Grand Prix. The goal is to try to score points at the Red Bull Ring, a circuit where he has great memories. 

In 2020, Miguel Oliveira won a historic and epic victory on the last corner, in a fierce battle with Jack Miller and Pol Espargaró. It was the rider's first victory in the premier class of world motorcycling, a feat that no other Portuguese had ever achieved. Four years later, following a British Grand Prix that he abandoned because he was hit by his team-mate's motorbike, the Falcon feels serene and determined to put in a good performance in Spielberg. 

Miguel Oliveira is currently 13th in the world championship with 51 points.

Here are Miguel Oliveira's comments ahead of the AustrianGP:

Portuguese rider Miguel Oliveira was hit by his team-mate's motorbike following a crash. It was an unhappy Sunday for the Almada rider and the Trackhouse MotoGP team, who left the British Grand Prix without a point. 

After having some problems with the bike's settings over the weekend, Miguel Oliveira started from 15th on the grid to finish the Sprint race in a creditable 10th position. In Sunday's race, at the start of the first lap of the Silverstone circuit, Miguel Oliveira was taken by surprise when his team-mate crashed. Both riders had opted for different tyre compounds on the front of the bike, and although Miguel Oliveira had gained several positions, he was cautious in his approach to the first corners of the circuit. In a less well-calculated move, his team-mate crashed, leading the Almada rider to end the race at turn 6 of the British track. 

Miguel Oliveira #88: "I made a good start like yesterday and gained a few positions straight away. When I got to turn 6, I braked quite late to protect myself from those behind, I widened my path a bit, and then I just felt the impact when Raúl's bike hit mine, and that was it. I braked a little too late and went wide, then Raúl was on the inside, fell and his bike hit mine. So there's no blame to be given, it was an absolute shame that ended our races and the reality is that we went home with no points, even though this was a good opportunity to score. I'm a bit hurt, but nothing too serious, I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

The next race, the Austrian Grand Prix, takes place between 16 and 18 August.