Outgoing MotoGP star names the team he is “in debt” to

Five-time MotoGP race winner Miguel Oliveira says he is “in debt” to KTM “because they helped me so much through my entire career”.

The Portuguese rider competed in seven seasons across all three classes of the world championship as part of the KTM fold.

He raced for the Ajo squad in Moto3 in 2015, finishing runner-up in the championship after a strong second half to that campaign.

Miguel Oliveira returned to KTM in 2017, again with the Ajo squad, in Moto2, winning six races and finishing top three in the standings across two seasons.

He made his MotoGP debut in 2019 with the KTM-backed Tech3 squad, winning his and the French outfit’s first grand prix in 2020 in Austria, before scoring a second on home soil in Portugal.

Oliveira won three more times with the factory KTM squad in 2021 and 2022, before leaving the fold for RNF Aprilia in 2023.

“I’ve done a career that not many riders can say they’ve won in different categories,” he said during his MotoGP farewell in Valencia.

“I’ve been privileged to have done that.

“I’ve been in good teams, teams that helped me reach my best potential, especially in Moto2, Moto3.

“I am in debt to KTM because they helped me so much throughout my entire career.

“And so many others, so many teams, so many people who have helped me bring out the best of me in terms of riding and helping me technically to develop myself.

“Whatever I achieve in the future will be a result of all those past experiences.”

How KTM, Aprilia and Yamaha compare, according to Oliveira

Oliveira will race for BMW in World Superbikes next year, following a difficult final MotoGP campaign with Pramac Yamaha.

Experiencing KTM, Aprilia and Yamaha machinery during his time in MotoGP, Oliveira offered a comparison between them.

“KTM was a good bike with a strong engine, and on a good day with very, very good rear grip,” he added.

“So, it was fantastic to ride. On the wet it was pretty much unbeatable.

“The Aprilia was a mix between such a high-turning bike in high-speed corners.

“Maybe the engine was not quite as strong, and it was quite physical to ride.

“But, if you got a smooth ride and a good understanding, it was fast.

“This Yamaha was super rider-friendly, but mainly the power was the problem, and the rear grip was quite bad.”