Miguel Oliveira faced significant challenges during the Sprint Race at Misano, where his strong qualifying speed was overshadowed by difficulties during the race itself. The Portuguese rider admitted frustration after losing positions early in the race due to unexpected grip problems that affected his bike’s handling.
Early Mistakes and Loss of Positions
Oliveira reflected on his Sprint Race experience, highlighting that while his qualifying pace was impressive, the initial laps of the race were considerably problematic. He stated,
“Positives of today? The speed in qualifying. But the negatives were the opening laps of the Sprint. They were very bad. I lost a lot of places, made a few mistakes myself, and I’m not really happy about that.”
These early errors cost him valuable track positions and affected his confidence moving forward.
Grip Loss and Handling Difficulties
The key issue that disrupted Oliveira’s rhythm was a sudden loss of grip, mainly on the front tire. This grip change was not due to overheating but rather a lack of ability to adequately slow down and navigate corners. Oliveira explained the difficulty:
“For me, it was the grip — quite a lot. I lost a lot of grip, especially on the front tyre. Not from overheating, but just no grip to stop. That’s why I was making mistakes, running wide, missing the curbs. I just wasn’t able to stop the bike.”
Challenges Adapting to Sudden Changes During the Race
Adjusting to the loss of grip proved to be a major challenge mid-race. Oliveira admitted he struggled to quickly adapt, saying,
“It was super difficult to adapt quickly. I don’t know why the grip changed so much, I have no idea. But it cost me a lot of feeling and ability to stop the bike.”
These unforeseen conditions heightened his frustration and undermined his competitiveness during the race.
Implications for Future Race Strategy
Oliveira’s sprint race challenges at Misano underscore the importance of managing tire grip and stability during events where conditions can shift rapidly. Despite his raw speed demonstrated in qualifying, the lack of consistency on race day impacted his results. Moving forward, addressing these grip issues will be essential to maximize his performance and better translate qualifying pace into race success.
