In a season where sprint races were introduced in MotoGP, along with a completely revamped format, there were several rider injuries throughout the year. So much so that it was rare all the regular riders lining up in the same Grand Prix. However, Miguel Oliveira doesn’t directly blame the format for the situation.
The Portuguese rider from the CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team suffered two more serious injuries in 2023, which forced him to miss rounds. Right away in the main race of the Portuguese GP, he was collided with by Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda), and in Spain, he was involved in an incident with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) and Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team/Ducati).
Oliveira told journalist Michel Turco:‘We can’t blame the new format because most of the accidents we’re talking about happened on Sunday. I think having two races every weekend and, therefore, two starts, increases the possibilities. Everyone is willing to take the maximum risk before the first corner, even though it’s a especially critical moment’.