September brought mixed moments for the Portuguese rider: he improved his results between the first two Grands Prix of the month, but a setback in the third race resulted in an injury to his arm. Still recovering, the Almada rider is exclusively focused on returning to the track.
The month began with the San Marino Grand Prix at the Misano circuit, where Miguel Oliveira had finished 6th in 2023. Staying true to the fearless style that characterizes him, the Portuguese rider took advantage of the circumstances of a race influenced by unstable weather and recovered seven positions, starting from 18th on the grid and finishing the race in 11th place. He secured five points in the overall standings and established himself as Aprilia's best rider of the day.
Two weeks later, when he returned to the same Misano circuit, this time for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Miguel Oliveira set himself the goal of finishing in the top ten, a target he achieved.
After a first day marked by some problems with the front of his bike, the Portuguese rider showed his mettle on the following day of the Italian GP, securing a place in the second qualifying round and finishing 11th in the Sprint race. Completing a growing weekend, Miguel Oliveira showed what he was capable of on Sunday and secured a much-desired place in the top 10, adding six points to the overall standings.
The Portuguese rider is “hungrier than ever for victory"
The last weekend of the month had been reserved for the Portuguese rider's return to Lombok Island, Indonesia, to a track with fond memories: Miguel Oliveira won at the Mandalika circuit's debut on the MotoGP calendar in 2022, after a remarkable performance, characterized by an intense pace in heavy rain.
The return, however, was marked by a major setback for the Portuguese rider's ambitions. In the final minutes of the first free practice session, he crashed and fractured the radius in his arm, making it immediately clear that he would be unable to continue in the race.
The rider, who has already undergone surgery in Portugal, has missed the Indonesian and Japanese Grands Prix, and is also guaranteed to miss the Australian Grand Prix.
Focused on recovery, Miguel Oliveira left a message of hope and resilience on his social media last Saturday. He showed that he was “more determined than ever to come back stronger” and recalled that it is when you are “put to the test off the track” that you show your “true strength”. To his millions of fans and followers, the Almada rider promised that he will soon be back, “hungrier for victory than ever”.
