It was with confidence in a brighter future and better performances that Miguel Oliveira said goodbye to Sepang, convinced that in Qatar he could continue to grow and adapt to the Aprilia RS-GP. The bike’s ability to corner at high speed, he believes, is a weakness of the current bike but one that can be resolved in the meantime. The Portuguese rider also commented on the arrival of Davide Brivio at the North American team.
Asked if there are any weaknesses in the bike, the Portuguese rider began by talking about what he believes the bike lacks most: ‘There are certainly always some weak points. For me it’s the ability to corner at high speed, which isn’t quite there yet, and I haven’t figured it out yet. The track in Qatar is very good for that and we should have a good idea of which direction to go in terms of performance’.
He continued, emphasising that the bike is indeed heavier, but without hiding his confidence in the future: ‘As long as the effort matches the lap time, everything is fine. If you’re trying really hard and the time doesn’t materialise then it’s frustrating, but I don’t think that’s the case at the moment. Yes, the bike is heavier, especially when changing direction at higher speeds, but we’ll certainly reach a good compromise’.
Oliveira also spoke about the confirmation of Davide Brivio’s entry into the team, a return to MotoGP, which he sees with favour and as an added value for Trackhouse Racing:
– Having Davide on board is a huge plus for the whole team. I think he can bring together a very strong group of people and now I think his role will be to guide us and help us realise what we need, and to help us get there. More than anything, I’m curious to meet him, I’m excited.