After a slow start, Miguel Oliveira managed to gain momentum throughout the MotoGP French GP weekend. And despite starting from 12th, he was able to reach the top ten during the main race this Sunday at Le Mans.
The Trackhouse rider was solidly among the top ten. However, on the 16th lap, he had to retire due to an exhaust problem that had been present in his Aprilia RS-GP since early on.
The outcome means it was the first round in 2024 without scoring points and the first retirement. Oliveira believes that if he had been able to stay until the finish line, a top seven finish would have been possible:
– Today I would probably be seventh. I don’t know who crashed ahead, but in the beginning it was Pedro Acosta who crashed. Aleix [Espargaró] went wide but I couldn’t overtake him. But then Fabio [Quartararo] was ahead and crashed, so I could have been sixth or seventh. I would gladly accept those points, for sure.
