Miguel Oliveira ‘questioning how I could race’ after emotional Portugal MotoGP sendoff

Pramac Yamaha MotoGP rider Miguel Oliveira admits he was “questioning how the hell I could race” after an emotional pre-Portuguese Grand Prix tribute to him.

The five-time MotoGP race winner competed in his last grand prix on home soil last weekend ahead of his switch to World Superbikes with BMW in 2026.

Before Sunday’s grand prix, tribute was paid to Miguel Oliveira during the pre-race ceremony, with his daughter handing him a Portuguese flag on the main straight.

Oliveira admits the emotional moment made it hard for him to get focused for the race, in which he finished 14th.

“It meant a lot, for sure,” he said.

“It was so symbolic for my daughter to give me the flag, and I was questioning myself how the hell was I going to race, putting the helmet on and going flat out.

“But, more or less,  I managed to do it. I finished strong in the race. I got a good pace in the end, finished close to the two Yamahas in front of me.

“We had the technical difficulties that we were anticipating before the race.

“But, yeah, we hope in Valencia we get a better weekend and we can be a little more competitive, and have a bit more fun.”

The ‘technical difficulties’ Oliveira is referring to were a lack of traction on his Yamaha, which made the bike “unstable”.

“I‘m really happy with my race, especially considering where we started on Friday,” he added.

“We managed to stay close to the other Yamahas, in what we knew would be a tough weekend.

“It wasn‘t an easy race — it was hard to manage the rear spin, and when there was a bit more grip, the bike felt really unstable.

“Things got better towards the end, and I was able to push and do some fast laps. Honestly, it was the best I could do.”