After a long absence from the calendar, the MotoGP caravan is back in full force for the Argentine Grand Prix. A race that, due to various circumstances, had remained away from the eyes of two-wheel fans now returns to bring the heat of the legendary Termas de Río Hondo circuit.
On Friday, the first free practice sessions took place, where Miguel Oliveira, rider for Prima Pramac Yamaha, faced difficulties during the sessions at the Termas de Río Hondo circuit in the context of the Argentine Grand Prix.
In FP1, held under damp track conditions due to heavy overnight rain, Oliveira recorded the 18th fastest time, with a lap of 1'40.772s.
During FP2, Oliveira attempted to improve his performance but struggled to optimize the setup of his Yamaha YZR-M1 during the crucial time-attack phase. The Portuguese rider got stuck behind Enea Bastianini for two laps, which compromised his attempt to improve his lap time. As a result, he finished the day in 18th place, forcing him to participate in Q1 on Saturday, where he qualified 17th, starting from the 6th row of the grid.
Oliveira acknowledged the challenges faced and highlighted the need to adjust the bike's setup to make better use of the new tires.
"The afternoon session was a bit difficult. I expected to improve much more on my second time attack, but then I got stuck behind Bastianini for two laps and had no chance to improve. Now, our biggest challenge is during the time attack, as it seems we need some different ideas on how to set up the bike more efficiently to maximize the new tires," he stated.
The Portuguese rider did not take part in the main race of the Argentine Grand Prix at the Termas de Río Hondo circuit due to an accident during Saturday’s sprint race.
The incident occurred on the fifth lap of the sprint race when Oliveira was hit by Spanish rookie Fermín Aldeguer, who attempted an overtake at Turn 2 but lost control of his bike, causing both riders to crash.
After the crash, Oliveira was taken to the hospital for medical examinations. Although no fractures were detected, he suffered a significant hematoma in the left clavicle area, leaving him "quite sore." As a precautionary measure, the team decided that the rider would return to Portugal for further evaluations, leading to his absence from Sunday’s main race.
Speaking after the incident, Oliveira expressed relief that he had not suffered serious injuries but admitted being disappointed at missing out on Sunday’s race.
"I'm relieved not to have suffered serious injuries, but disappointed that I won’t be on the starting grid tomorrow," the rider stated.
Fermín Aldeguer publicly expressed his regret over the incident, stating:
"I want to apologize to Miguel Oliveira and his team for the unfortunate outcome of our contact. I never intended to touch or push him in my overtaking move. I was very upset to learn about his injuries. I sincerely wish him a speedy recovery."