Oliveira ‘couldn’t aim for higher position, was on the limit since the start’

Top five finish at the Dutch MotoGP makes Miguel Oliveira the highest points scorer of the last four rounds heading into a five-week summer break.
Miguel Oliveira, MotoGP race, Dutch MotoGP 27 June 2021
Miguel Oliveira, MotoGP race, Dutch MotoGP 27 June 2021
© Gold and Goose

Miguel Oliveira continued his impressive run of MotoGP results since Mugello by claiming fifth place in Assen. 

It’s a result that means Oliveira is the highest points scorer over the last four races, as teams and riders head into the five-week summer break.

"Today was a decent day. Solid results after the struggles that we had on the free practices and also in qualifying," said Oliveira. 

"I believe we couldn’t aim for a higher position. To be honest, happy about the outcome of the race. We gave everything we had to give on track and it showed in the results, finally. 

"The good effort always pays off and that was our case today. Top five. We understood what to do for next season to improve the bike, to improve the feelings and moving on to the second half of the season with a good spirit and a good result." 

Speaking of the second half to this season, Oliveira’s results would suggest not much needs changing, which is in fact the way he sees things.

Oliveira added: "For me, the approach is the same. I have nothing different to do, rather than getting out the maximum out of every weekend. 

"For sure, days like this will come, but it’s important that we stay calm and we take out the maximum we can take out from the adversity. For me, the important thing is also to learn how to improve for the future and also myself, the bike. 

"We have another year, so we must also think about what we can do for the present and the future. So these days we will take as a learning curve. Some days we will win, and some days we will get fifth place. It is what it is."

During the Dutch GP, Oliveira was initially stuck in a six rider group for the podium - became three riders battling for third by the end, as overtaking proved to be difficult.

This was down to everyone having ‘more or less the same pace’, and unless you were willing to take risks like Mir in ‘turn five’, it resulted in everyone being on the limit including the KTM rider.

"I think everyone had more or less the same pace. This makes it quite hard for a rider to have something extra in the pocket. Mir, I think he found a very good line. A bit risky, I have to say, but a very good line through the inside of turn five," said Oliveira. 

"This is where he made his race moves and his progression was on the overtaking into turn five, if I’m not mistaken. 

"I was on the limit since the start to the finish of the race. So I had nothing left in the pocket to play or to make myself close enough to think about the move. 

"So, I was really dependent on the guys in front of me to really slow down with the pace and then me finding an opportunity. This is the reason I think there was not much overtaking during this race."

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