“What happened to Jorge Martin made me take a more cautious approach”

Miguel Oliveira took ‘a more cautious approach’ to his MotoGP return at Le Mans, after witnessing Jorge Martin’s nightmare injury comeback in Qatar.

Oliveira, who missed three rounds due to a shoulder injury in Argentina, was present in the Lusail paddock when reigning champion Martin made his long-awaited Aprilia grand prix debut.

But the Spaniard’s weekend ended in disaster when, after a competitive pace for the opening ten laps, his times rose by one second before crashing out of 17th place on lap 14.

Falling directly in front of Fabio di Giannantonio, Martin - whose Aprilia future is now in doubt - suffered eleven rib fractures as well as lung damage, forcing him to stay in Qatar until deemed fit enough to fly.

Miguel Oliveira admits caution after Jorge Martin injury

Asked in an interview with sponsor Estrella Galicia if Martin's crash had prompted a 'rethink' about returning at Jerez, rather than waiting for Le Mans, the Pramac Yamaha rider replied:

“I had thought about coming back earlier [at Jerez], but I simply didn’t do it because of physical limitations - not because Martin may have come back too soon.

“That said, what happened to Martin did make me take a more cautious approach to returning at Le Mans, always making solid progress.

“I didn’t try to do more than my body allowed, so that frustration wouldn’t get in my way.

“Seeing what Martín went through from the outside helped me, no doubt about it.”

The likes of Marc Marquez had previously encouraged Jorge Martin to take his time before attempting a MotoGP return.

“Yes, it’s easy to say from the outside, but I can’t really imagine it - because I’ve never been in his position, as a world champion with the number one on the front of the bike, being the reference rider,” Oliveira added.

“Being in that spot naturally makes you want to speed things up, but you can’t skip steps.

“If you try, there are some chances of hitting some rough patches along the way.

“From my own experience coming back from injuries, what I’ve learned is that you simply can’t try to skip any part of the process.”

While Martin’s next comeback date remains TBC, Oliveira qualified and finished 20th in the Sprint at Le Mans.

He then ran as high as second in the grand prix, after correctly fitting wet tyres for the start, but was caught out at the same final corner as team-mate Jack Miller and Fabio Quartararo, on lap 19 of 26.

“It was a surprise because I wasn’t really checking my position, but I realised I was in second when Marc overtook me,” Oliveira said.

“I started doing the math and thought, ‘maybe I’ve got a good chance to score points’. But in such tough conditions, with so little grip, it was hard just to make it to the finish.”

Miguel Oliveira: Clear why Pramac have been world champions

This year’s move to Pramac Yamaha marks Oliveira’s third different manufacturer after starting his career at KTM, then spending two seasons with Aprilia.

“Honestly, from the very first test last year in Barcelona, I realised I was joining a really great team on a human level,” Oliveira said.

“The way everything is organised is just incredible, and it becomes clear very quickly why they’ve been world champions [with Martin and Ducati last year]. They’ve built a top-level team - people really make the difference - and that’s why they’ve achieved such great results in recent years.

“What they’re trying to build with Yamaha is solid and highly ambitious. You can also see that Yamaha is fully committed, and that gives a rider a huge sense of motivation and excitement about what lies ahead.

“Right now, we know the bike isn’t quite ready to deliver the results we’re aiming for, but we’re on an upward path. We’re highly motivated and really excited about this project going forward.”

Looking ahead to this weekend’s British MotoGP, Oliveira added: “My expectations are to feel increasingly comfortable on the bike and to build even more trust in what I‘m capable of doing."