By winning his first Grand Prix in the MotoGP category and bringing the Tech3 team its first victory in the premier category, Miguel Oliveira did not do things by halves especially as he also brought KTM its first victory in home among the greats of the Grands Prix.
Even if he has so far only led a MotoGP Grand Prix for a few meters, they were the right ones, and it will also mark the history of his country and of MotoGP, since he is the first Portuguese rider to win a Grand Prix.
We can easily imagine that his success made the headlines in the local press, so much so that the driver of Almada (opposite Lisbon) took care to ask, in a video message, not to come and welcome him at the airport, for known health reasons.
Miguel Oliveira : “Today is Monday, the first day as a winner of a MotoGP race. I can't describe the gratitude I feel towards you all, the messages I received, hundreds and hundreds of comments on social media... Thank you all, I've seen them all and I can't respond to everyone, but they all have a place in my heart. I also know that the circumstances in which we live, with Covid-19, do not allow us to celebrate as we deserve, with arriving in separate groups. This is why I am appealing not to hold gatherings at the airport. Respect my safety so that I can continue to give you joy on the slopes. I appeal to all fans and friends not to wait for me at the airport. As you understand, I cannot run the risk of being contaminated and thus prevented from running. »
Asked about the reason for his spectacular and voluntary tongue sticking out in front of the Dorna Sports cameras during the parc ferme, the 25-year-old young man, who also studied dentistry, explains with a laugh that it is related with his nickname in the paddock: “They call me Einstein in the paddock and I thought it was funny to make that parallel. I have always been known to be a very thoughtful person, I am not a driver who drives only with his heart, I always reason a lot, and perhaps that comes from this nickname which gives me a bit of weight. I think it suits me, I don't know! »
A question nevertheless remains: is Pol Espargaró the origin of the nickname of the descendant of the Lusitanians?
