Portuguese MotoGP rider Miguel Oliveira was dramatically knocked off his bike shortly after the start of the main race in Portimão, yesterday.
The Portuguese hero had to abandon the MotoGP Portuguese Grand Prix, after being hit by the Spanish rider Marc Márquez in the3 rd lap, in an “over-ambitious manoeuvre”, preventing Oliveira from fighting for the “first podium” of the season, and in his home country.
Speaking to journalists outside the pits, Miguel Oliveira, riding for Aprilia, said that the incident "is easy to explain".
“It was a bit of an ambitious overtaking attempt. Marc Márquez had no room to stop, he avoided the rider in front of him, spanish rider Jorge Martin, and came up against me”, said the Portuguese rider.
Miguel Oliveira, who has already spoken with Marc Márquez (Honda), said he knew that "it was not on purpose" and that, "obviously, the apologies are accepted".
Even so, he did not fail to criticize the “too ambitious” manoeuvre by Márquez, who reportedly told Oliveira he had suffered brake problems.
“When you have brake problems, you brake before, not after, and we don't try to overtake”, commented Miguel Oliveira.
“I don't know if I'll be at 100% for the next race, next week in Argentina., but I'll try, "said Oliveira. "I have a very big bruise on my right leg. We know that there are no fractures in the femoral nec, but we are still going to do an MRI to rule out possible ligament injuries”, explained Miguel Oliveira.
Márquez fractured his right hand in the accident, leaving doubts as to his recovery for the next race.
Oliveria, originally from Almada, just outside Lisbon, considers that the outcome “is even more frustrating knowing that I could have a good result. Ihad a good start, I was in first place in the opening lap in, and when Pecco [Bagnaia] passed me, I knew I had room to improve because the tires were still cold. It is too inglorious for the race to end so soon, with so much expectation that was generated”, said Oliveira.
The winner of the Algarve MotoGP 2023 race was Italian Francesco Bagnaia, riding for Ducati.
