For the fifth consecutive year, after Miguel Oliveira’s perfect debut in 2020, the Portimão rollercoaster once again focuses the attention of the world of speed motorcycling, which this weekend renews hopes for a full return of the Portuguese hero.
Repeating 2020, but with an audience, would take on truly surreal contours. Especially at a time when Miguel Oliveira is still trying to extract the “best sensations” from the new Aprilia RSGP. In fact, the Portuguese Grand Prix (GP) appears too early in the calendar, “stealing” Miguel Oliveira’s adaptation time.
For Portuguese, nothing is impossible. Nor will he be the one to impose limits, no matter how plausible a scenario similar to 2020 may seem. Despite everything and 15th place in Qatar, Miguel Oliveira remembers that “anything is possible”, even if he says he will fight for victory “ might seem a little ambitious.”
“Falcão” will not be the one “creating limitations, nor too many expectations”, as he said in the press conference, confirming in free training, that he came to lead, that they can count on him, despite the fact that in the following session he finished 17th. º, failing direct access to Q2.
But the profile of the circuit, where the riders can be more relevant, combined with the Portuguese’s knowledge of the track, could mitigate the differences in performance and the Ducati’s dominance.
It is, therefore, in search of a point of balance between the grand slam 2020 – in which Oliveira achieved the pole positionthe fastest lap and first place on the podium, leading from the first to the last lap – and the drama experienced in 2021 (two crashes during the two visits of the MotoGP World Championship to the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, AIA) and in 2023 (crash at the start by Marc Márquez) that the Pragal pilot hopes to be able to become the exemplary host in 2024.
As the closest reference, the drivers have the Qatar race, the debut race of the 2024 edition, in which the Portuguese closed out the points points (15th), in a race marked by the penalty “brought over” from 2023.
The Davide Brivio effect
Now, with an official Aprilia and with the ambition and determined commitment of the North American Trackhouse Racing, Miguel Oliveira has other prospects… being able, in an idyllic scenario, to match the Frenchman Fabio Quartararo (2021 and 2022) and the Italian Francesco Bagnaia (2021 and 2023), the only ones to repeat the triumph in Portimão.
Remember that in 2021 there were two races at the AIA after the cancellation of the Australian GP, caused by the covid-19 pandemic. In an interview with Sport TV, Miguel Oliveira was cautious in his assessment of the team, remembering that Trackhouse had planned to invest in MotoGP for 2025, in addition to moving from continental logistics, limited to the United States, to global planning.
But the big difference, according to Oliveira, is the hiring of Davide Brivio, new team leader and one of the most successful figures in the sport, with an impact on Yamaha and Suzuki and six driver titles, four constructor titles and six team titles on his resume. , in addition to the foray into Formula 1, with Alpine.
Miguel Oliveira emphasized Brivio’s role and the importance of having someone who listens and understands the drivers. Portugal hopes, therefore, to be able to see the driver from Almada take off on the upward trajectory of a career made up of ups and downs (after a 2023 marked by bad luck), a bit like the layout of the Portimão circuit, an authentic “rollercoaster ” of emotions.
