After a very challenging season, everything is going well for Miguel Oliveira at the MotoGP German GP. From the first free practice session, he has been among the fastest, and this Saturday, he translated his performance into results: he finished second in both qualifying and the Sprint race at Sachsenring.
The Trackhouse Racing rider insisted that there isn’t just one reason for this significant improvement; it’s a combination of factors: ‘As I said yesterday is hard to say just one «why». I think everything is just clicking together. The track, the approach that we did this weekend on trying not to touch a lot in the bike, work a lot in the suspension side and the electronics. And that’s what we’ve been doing during the weekend. I’m able to get the maximum of my riding on this bike, so I think that’s the why. Also the fact that Aleix [Espargaró] is not racing, we do have a little bit extra eye looking into our things, but I can’t say that’s the main reason now. But for sure every here and there it’s always a help’.
When asked if he felt the difference of having more help from factory engineers while being in a satellite team, Oliveira replied: ‘For sure. I do know the difference – I’ve been two years in a factory team and previously I’ve been in a satellite team with the factory support, and I do know the difference. Ultimately if you don’t have the best bike on the grid by far, that maybe doesn’t work with every riding style, it is hard; you need to work, you need to understand where you can make a difference and how the team can set up the bike for you to be able to ride as you want’.
The main race of the German GP takes place this Sunday, and the #88 is not particularly worried about any specific rival: ‘I’m not especifically worried about anyone. Today I had Pecco [Bagnaia] behind; I accepted the fact that if he was faster, he could overtake me, but he didn’t. So tomorrow I’m going to do the same. I don’t want to plan too much the race and try to improvise and see what happens’.