Portuguese rider Miguel Oliveira (KTM) admitted on Friday that he is not feeling “good on the bike” after finishing 11th in free practice for the MotoGP Australian Grand Prix, the 18th race of the season.
The pilot from Almada acknowledged it was “a difficult day”.
“I don’t feel good on the bike. I feel like I’m struggling with the bike at every turn and pushing it with every move. It’s not the best feeling I could want to feel,” he said, cprepared by his press office.
The Portuguese rider also stated that the Australian circuit, which will host the championship’s 18th and penultimate race this weekend, is “ruthless”.
“In Portugal the slopes are wide so we can get our bearings better. The track here is very narrow and unforgiving. If you make a small mistake you will be dragged along or end up on wet grass with a lot of mud. A gust of wind will push you away. us out… In other words, it’s complicated. I believe this is one of the hardest tracks on the calendar”, emphasizes.
The Portuguese rider also said that one of his problems in Australia is the steeper corners, where he loses speed, and that this grand prix will have to be held at a different time of year.
“It’s the wrong time to race here. Motorcycles should be run in the summer, not in the winter. It’s not that we’re unlucky with the weather, the truth is that it’s always so changeable at this time of year “But five degrees more than air temperature would help a lot to keep the tires warm and so on… Things don’t work at these temperatures,” explained Miguel Oliveira.
For Saturday, the KTM rider hopes to “improve this feeling of discomfort”.
Miguel Oliveira comes to this round after winning the previous event, in Thailand, in the rain.
The Portuguese occupies eighth place in the championship, with 131 points, 88 points behind the leader, Frenchman Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha).
Source: DN
