Miguel Oliveira’s French WorldSBK round proved to be a challenging affair. The former MotoGP rider crashed out of Race 1 and finished ahead of teammate Danilo Petrucci in the Superpole Race, before a post-race penalty in Race 2 demoted him from 13th on track to 15th.
Oliveira adapting to the WorldSBK Calendar
Having joined the WorldSBK paddock just a few months ago, Oliveira still approaches several venues as a rookie. Tracks such as Most, Donington Park, Magny-Cours, Cremona, and Estoril do not feature on the MotoGP calendar with which he is so familiar.
“The biggest challenge for them will be adapting to WorldSBK tracks, which feature significantly more low-speed corners and heavy braking zones compared to the fluid layout of MotoGP circuits,” he highlighted to media on Thursday.
Mixed fortunes for Oliveira at Magny-Cours
The French circuit proved no exception. The ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team rider retired following a crash at Turn 8 on Lap 5 of Race 1. His Superpole Race yielded a more positive outcome as he took the chequered flag in 12th, ahead of Petrucci in 16th. In Race 2, the Portuguese rider crossed the line 13th but dropped to 15th after receiving a three-second penalty for cutting the track without losing sufficient time.
However, results are not the immediate priority for the French round or the remainder of the campaign, insisted the rookie, whose contract extension was announced ahead of the weekend.
“The raw result is secondary,” he stated before the races.
Long term development for BMW
While pushing the bike’s development may have contributed to his Turn 8 crash in Race 1, Oliveira continues to gain vital experience.
“We are using these final races to validate the base setup of the bike, accepting the risks, and building confidence for next year,” he noted.
Reflecting on the weekend, he added: “The Magny-Cours weekend was probably one of the toughest of the season so far. We were searching for performance, pure speed and pace. We found it a little bit back in the Superpole race, but in the afternoon, it became a bit trickier with the slight change of conditions.
“The good thing is that the team reacted well. We work together and try to push forward. This is what we will keep doing heading to Cremona. We know there’s a lot of work to do, we don’t deny that, and we’ll take the challenge onwards.”
Oliveira’s momentum has been hampered this season by injuries sustained in a crash at Balaton Park in early May, where he suffered a fractured scapula, a broken rib, and shoulder tendon damage. He remains the leading rookie on the grid with four podiums to his name, courtesy of a rostrum sweep in Portimão and a third-place finish at Balaton Park.
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