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The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 Portuguese rider went from the heavy rain of Japan to the cold and windy conditions of the Australian GP this Friday. On his first day of action with a Moto2 bike at Phillip Island, Miguel Oliveira found a good feeling after the first two Free Practice sessions. The Portuguese set the fourth best lap, thanks to his time in FP1.

FP1 was used by Miguel Oliveira to undertake his first laps with a Moto2 bike at the Australian circuit. Miguel Oliveira put in the maximum amount of track time possible, making a single stop in the pits and completing 24 laps. Oliveira again showed his ease in adapting in new tracks, going third fastest with a 1:34.119 lap and putting in a strong pace

The Red Bull KTM Ajo portuguese rider has started the afternoon session strongly. In conditions similar to those he had experienced in the morning, Miguel Oliveira was in the Top 10 during the first ten minutes. In fact, the best lap for Oliveira was set in that early spell: A 1:34.335 for sixth place.

#44 Miguel Oliveira

"It was a positive first day here at Phillip Island. In the second session there was a lot more wind than in the morning and we tried out different tyre compounds, because we still aren’t sure about which tyres to use. It seems that the softer rubber isn’t very good for us, so we will try to improve for tomorrow if the weather is favourable. However, overall we can say that it has been a positive Friday”.

Miguel Oliveira will battle for the best grid position possible tomorrow at 4:05pm local time -6:05am, portuguese time.

Results (Combined practice times FP1-FP2)

1. Takaaki Nakagami (Kalex) 1:33.310

2. Mattia Pasini (Kalex) 1:34.986 +0.676

3. Dominique Aergerter (Suter) 1:34.020 +0.710

4. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:34.119 +0.809

5. Franco Morbidelli (Kalex) 1:34.206 +0.896

Miguel Oliveira had a demanding start to the flyaway rounds at Motegi, where three days of continuous rain compromised his performance at the Japanese track. For the sixteenth race of the season, the portuguese rider arrived at a circuit where he has previously won in Moto3: Oliveira in 2015.

Miguel Oliveira won the Australian GP with Red Bull KTM Ajo in 2015, as part of his superb transoceanic tour. In 2016, the Portuguese rider missed the race at Phillip Island due to injury, so this weekend he will have his first Moto2 experience of the Australian track. It's a challenge for which he feels motivated, and he is keen to get back into the podium fight after difficulties at Motegi.

#44 Miguel Oliveira

"The Australian GP is a round that I really like, besides being a track at which I have a victory with the team and another podium. I can't wait to go Phillip Island and discover it with the Moto2 bike. It is usually very windythere; I hope that this weekend the weather will favour us, since at Motegi it rained every day. I'm keen to get back riding and doing my best with the team".

The Moto2 race is scheduled for 14:20h Australian time on Sunday, 4:20am, portuguese time.

Circuit information – Phillip Island

Length: 4.448m / 2.764 miles

Width: 13m

Left corners: 7

Right corners: 5

Longest straight: 900m / 0.559 miles

Constructed: 1956

Modified: 1988

True to the weather forecasts, intense rain played a big part in the action at Twin Ring Motegi on Sunday. With the track in worse conditions than it previously had been during the weekend, and with the Moto2 race reduced to just 15 laps, Miguel Oliveira was able to salvage seventh position and add 9 points to his tally for the season. 

Starting from fifth position on the grid, Miguel Oliveira dropped down a place on the opening lap, quickly regaining it on Lap 2. The Portuguese remained in this position until the midway point of the Japanese GP, when he was unable to keep up the pace and was overtaken by two riders.

With no time to rest, the flyaway rounds continue next week in Australia. Miguel Oliveira will arrive at Phillip Island in fourth place overall, with 166 points.

#44 Miguel Oliveira

"It was a difficult race, with lots of water on track. I was not at all comfortable, especially with the rear tyre that didn’t give me a good enough feeling to be able to push more. I was close to the Top 5, but when I understood that I couldn’t go faster I tried to control the race to the best of my ability to finish. Seventh is not the result we had hoped for, but the positive thing is that we finished and now it is time to look ahead to Phillip Island -a circuit that I like and that I think it suits our bike quite well. I'm sure we'll arrive there strong".

Aki Ajo – Team Manager

"I'm a bit disappointed with the final result of the Moto2 race, although overall we can continue to be happy with the performance we've had over the weekend. We are fairly fast in any conditions, whether in the dry or in the wet, and this weekend has been a practice for us to keep improving in the rain. We are confident ahead of the coming races".

Results (Race)

1. Alex Marquez (Kalex) 32:08.901

2. Xavi Vierge (Tech3) +1.465

3. Hafizh Syahrin (Kalex) +3.134

4. Francesco Bagnaia (Kalex) +5.415

5. Mattia Pasini (Kalex) +5.618

7. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +7.597

Moto2 World Championship Standing 2017

1. Franco Morbidelli (Kalex) 256 points

2. Thomas Luthi (Kalex) 232 points

3. Alex Marquez (Kalex) 180 points

4. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 166 points

5. Francesco Bagnaia (Kalex) 143 points

Miguel Oliveira just missed out on a second consecutive pole position on the last lap of qualifying for the Japanese GP. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider dominated the second half of the session, but on a last lap with many changes in position, he was relegated in fifth on the starting grid for tomorrow’s race. For the first time this weekend, the Moto2 rider was able to run slicks.

Whilst there was no intense rain, FP3 was another session on a completely wet track for the intermediate class. The conditions were not favorable for lower times from Friday, and the portuguese rider was around 1 second off his best FP2 laps; Oliveira finished eighth -2:06.892-.

Qualifying was a session of two halves. In the first stint, the Moto2 rider went out on wet tyres, and Miguel Oliveira was inside the Top 10. After a pit stop and a change to slicks, Oliveira was able to adapt quickly to the switch and set the pace at the head of the timesheets until the end of the session. Only on the last lap did he vacate the spot, overtaken by four riders to finish fifth with a best time of 1:54.289.  

The Moto2 race will be held at 12.20pm local time (4.20am portuguese time). Miguel Oliveira will look for his second consecutive podium at a circuit where he has already finished inside the Top 3.

Results (Qualifying Session)

1. Takaaki Nakagami (Kalex) 1:53.776

2. Alex Marquez (Kalex) 1:53.904 +0.128

3. Xavi Vierge (Tech3) 1:54.046 +0.270

4. Mattia Pasini (Kalex) 1:54.139 +0.363

5. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:54.289 +0.513

Although he had never ridden a Moto2 at Twin Ring Motegi before, that did not prove to be a problem for Miguel Oliveira on Friday. The Portuguese was nineth in FP1 and took a definitive step forward in the second session, with the third best time of the day, of what was a wet day at the Japanese GP.

The Red Bull KTM Ajo portuguese rider was not provided with the best conditions in which to learn the layout of Motegi with a Moto2 bike. He had to complete the first 45 minutes of practice on a completely wet surface. Despite this, Miguel Oliveira was able to rise to the challenge and go nineth fastest -2:06.982.

The conditions in the afternoon remained the same, but Miguel Oliveira showed that he could be much faster. The Portuguese set his best time of the day at the end of his first stint, taking and holding onto third with his 2:05.807 lap. Oliveira was one of three riders who were able to ride below the 2:06 mark.  

#44 Miguel Oliveira

"This first day in Japan has gone well, although it rained both in the morning and in the afternoon and there was a lot of water on the track. We did a good job; I’m happy with the setup for the bike that we found, so I am comfortable under these conditions. We have to see what conditions we find tomorrow in qualifying, but if they are similar to today’s then I hope we continue in this same way."

Tomorrow the portuguese rider will fight for a positive position on the grid in qualifying at 3:05 local time, to avoid having to climb up the order on race day.

Results (Combined practice times FP1-FP2)

1. Thomas Luthi (Kalex) 2:05.282

2. Alex Marquez (Kalex) 2:05.460 +0.178

3. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2:05.807 +0.525

4. Hafizh Syahrin (Kalex) 2:06.212 +0.930

5. Franco Morbidelli (Kalex) 2:06.220 +0.938

With one of his best performances of the season at the Aragon GP still fresh in his mind, the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider Miguel Oliveira heads to Motegi this weekend for the fifteenth round of the season. In what will be the first triple flyaway for the KTM project in Moto2, as well as for both Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder, expectations are high after both achieved good results in recent rounds.

Miguel Oliveira's goal for the coming races will be to consolidate his third place in the overall standings, which he regained after taking to the podium at MotorLand Aragon. This will be the first time that the Portuguese undertakes these three Asian races as a Moto2 rider, as an injury prevented him from participating in his rookie year. Oliveira has a podium in Japan from 2015, during his previous spell with Red Bull KTM Ajo in Moto3. He would go on to take victories in Australia and Malaysia that year.

#44 Miguel Oliveira

"I can’t wait to start the flyaways. It’s three races in a row that I like a lot and that also bring back good memories of my experience with the Red Bull KTM Ajo team in 2015. Last year in Moto2 I wasn’t able to do the flyaway rounds, so I will have to discover how the Moto2 works at these tracks as I go along -although I don’t think this is a problem. We start this long journey with the goal of getting as many points as possible and consolidating third place in the overall standings. We are determined to continue with the positive work and results we have achieved at recent races."

Both riders will try to give the KTM Moto2 a positive first visit to Japan. Sunday’s race will take place at 12:20pm local time, 5:20am CET.

Circuit information – Twin Ring Motegi

Length: 4.801 m / 2.983 miles

Width: 15 m

Left corners: 6

Right corners: 8

Longest straight: 762 m / 0.473 miles

Constructed: 1997

Modified: 1997

Miguel Oliveira once again brought joy to the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 team this Sunday at the Aragon GP. Although he was not able to fight for victory, Oliveira claimed his sixth podium of the season after finishing third.

Oliveira suffered during the initial laps, in which he kept in the fight for third place. After an intense tussle to escape from the pack, the Portuguese rider managed to open a gap and begin his pursuit of the race leaders. After cutting 3 seconds off the gap to both, only 6 tenths separated him from the winner at the chequered flag. The podium was Oliveira's sixth of 2017.

The Red Bull KTM Ajo ended this weekend with very positive results, not only because of the excellent performance of Miguel Oliveira, but also because his team mate Brad Binder has also entered the top 5.

Oliveira will come into the Asian flyaway rounds, which starts in three weeks' time, third -with 157 points- in the overall standings. Before that, the Portuguese rider  (and his colleague Binder) will participate in a day of testing at MotorLand Aragon on Monday.

Aki Ajo – Team Manager

"It's been an excellent day. The feeling is the same as after a big victory, because the two riders had a great performance, our KTM is performing very well and we had no problems during the weekend. Of course, we have to see how we can do better, but overall I am very happy and we will go into the coming races with a lot of strength."

#44Miguel Oliveira

"It has been a very good and a very solid weekend. This podium is very important for us after not being able to score points at Misano. I felt very strong all weekend, but at the beginning of the race we lost some time that we weren't able to recover later on. Anyway, overall it has been a very positive Grand Prix for us. Now we have three races in a row that I like a lot, where I usually get good results, so I will be very focused and we will give everything at Motegi".

Results (Race)

1. Franco Morbidelli (Kalex) 40:09.904

2. Mattia Pasini (Kalex) +0.145

3. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +0.577

4. Thomas Luthi (Kalex) +4.181

5. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +4.331

Moto2 World Championship Standing 2017

1. Franco Morbidelli (Kalex) 248 points

2. Thomas Luthi (Kalex) 227 points

3. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 157 points

4. Alex Marquez (Kalex) 155 points

5. Francesco Bagnaia (Kalex) 130 points

The Moto2 Aragon GP had its pole position decided beyond the 45 minute shootout on Saturday afternoon. Doubts amongst Race Direction as to whether to award Miguel Oliveira pole or scrub his lap meant that for several minutes the Portuguese was relegated to ninth position. Fortunately for him, his 1:53.736 lap was eventually deemed to be valid and the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider was able to take his second Moto2 pole of the season. 

In the last Free Practice session the Moto2 riders were finally able to ride on a completely dry track, with temperatures of 25ºC. This has made it easier for yesterday's times to be lowered within a matter of minutes. Miguel Oliveira was again one of the fastest riders and was troubling the Top 3, although he would eventually finish in fifth position -1:54.376. 

Oliveira saved his best laps for the main event of the day: Qualifying. In fifth, before his final run, the portuguese rider set his best laps of the weekend in the closing minutes. Oliveira surprised everyone on his sixteenth lap with an extraordinary final sector, leaping up to pole position with a 1:53.736 time. 

#44 Miguel Oliveira

"The truth is that we couldn't ask for more. This pole position will be very important for the start of tomorrow's race. We're confident because we have a very good pace, although other riders do as well. I think there could be a group at the front, so we will have to be prepared to fight -especially when the tyres begin to drop off. It will be interesting to see who is strong then.

After getting pole, seeing there had been a penalty and then having it given back, we could say that I already did my warmup for tomorrow walking up and down pitlane! Even if I hadn't been given it in the end, I would still have been happy with my pace".

Tomorrow Miguel Oliveira will try to fight for another great result in this first season for KTM in Moto2. The rider already has podium experience at MotorLand Aragon in Moto3. The race takes place from 11:20am, portuguese time.

Results (Qualifying Practice)

1. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:53.736

2. Mattia Pasini (Kalex) 1:53.757 +0.021

3. Alex Marquez (Kalex) 1:53.807 +0.071

4. Franco Morbidelli (Kalex) 1:53.841 +0.105

5. Simone Corsi (Speed Up) 1:53.876 +0.140

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.