Aprilia rider and local crowd favorite Miguel Oliveira delivered a noteworthy performance at the Portuguese Grand Prix at Portimao, securing his best place of the rookie season with a ninth position. At the end of the race, he shared his enthusiasm not only for his performances on the track, but also for his meeting with the famous football coach, José Mourinho…
« Frankly, a sixth place was within our reach. Unfortunately, I had a small collision with Bezzecchi at the first corner, which cost me three places. Up until that moment, I had managed to fight effectively. The start was excellent, and I even managed to overtake both Yamahas during the race ", has explained Miguel Oliveira, visibly satisfied with his race.
Regarding the progress of his Aprilia RS-GP within the new US TrackHouse team, Olive tree remains optimistic despite certain challenges: “ we are moving forward little by little, although I would have preferred this progress to be more significant. I have completely adapted to Aprilia's driving style, but the bike still doesn't respond quite the way I would like, which is a bit frustrating. However, we must persevere and find solutions »
Miguel Oliveira: “ It was like being a football star, with everyone singing my name »
The support of the Portuguese fans was a strong point for Miguel Oliveira, who appreciates the enthusiasm around his person, recalling the great moments of a Valentino Rossi in Italy : " the atmosphere this weekend was incredible, never seen before from a well known and now retired driver. Having an entire country behind you is indescribable, even if it adds a certain pressure. But for me this pressure is manageable and would be no different if I had to fight for the world title, except maybe here in Portugal!“, he declared with humor.
His meeting with José Mourinho, the emblematic coach of Portuguese football, was also a highlight of the weekend: “ it was like being a football star, with everyone chanting my name. Mourinho, who is on vacation, was there for the ride. He regularly follows MotoGP and really enjoys it. He even told me he preferred MotoGP to Formula 1, after attending several races. Our conversation was very pleasant »
MotoGP race results Portuguese GP
MotoGP General Ranking
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Credit classification motogp.com