Miguel Oliveira is among the unluckiest MotoGP riders over the last 12 months, and he just can’t seem to catch a break.
The Portuguese star fractured his wrist at Mandalika in September 2024, ending his season early. He returned to action earlier this year, but crashed in the Gran Premio de Argentina Sprint, forcing him off the bike for two months.
Miguel has crashed seven times in sprint and GP races over the past 12 months, his latest coming last weekend as he returned from injury. While the fans expected the best of the Portuguese rider, his doctor, Gonzalo Morais Sarmento, stated that we will only see Miguel at 100% in the Italian or Netherlands Grand Prix.
The Prima Pramac rider was adamant to prove his doctor wrong, and went out hard in the early stages of the French Grand Prix. He was comfortably inside the top 10 at the business end of the race, before a sharp turn sent the five-time winner careening into the asphalt eight laps from home.
Oliveira escaped that tumble without major injury and managed to see the bright side, calling the weekend a success because he made it back onto his bike.
MotoGP British GP
The next step is completing a race, and “Falcao” will set his sights on crossing the line at the Tissot Grand Prix of the United Kingdom at Silverstone Circuit this weekend.
Miguel returns to a familiar track where he earned his best result in the last 24 months, back in 2023. He held on for fourth place in the Sunday Grand Prix behind Aleix Espargaró, Francesco Bagnaia, and Brad Binder. However, his visit to the Isles in 2024 ended early after he slid into his teammate Raul Fernandez on the first lap.
While his big-picture goals of competing for a championship will need to wait until 2026, the Portuguese racer would love to bring some sparkle back to a career that looked so promising a few years back.
Moto 2 and Moto 3 Success
Top-3 runs in the Moto 2 Championship in 2017 and 2018, including three wins in each season, increased the hype around the Portuguese rider. He then won a pair of races and finished ninth overall in MotoGP in 2020. Miguel enjoyed further success in 2022, when he logged two more victories.
His MotoGP record reads five wins and seven podiums in seven years on the circuit. The man from Almada knows how to win, he just needs to rediscover his confidence.
Final Thoughts
Miguel Oliveira has only broken into the top 10 once since the 2024 United Kingdom GP, ending in 10th at the Emilia-Romagna GP last year.
Despite the recent issues, Oliveira is still in his racing prime and capable of getting back on track, literally and figuratively. Hopefully, the road ahead is brighter for the Prima Pramac team member than it has been over the last 12 months.
The fastest riders on two wheels return to Spain this weekend for the second race in the Southern European nation in 2025. Marc Marquez leads the series and the MotoGP Aragon Grand Prix pre-event odds for the sprint and main event. The younger Marquez lines up in his home Grand Prix after earning his sixth …
David Almansa produced a dominant weekend at the 2026 Moto3 Thai Grand Prix in Buriram, claiming pole, topping final practice and then edging Máximo Quiles by 0.003 seconds in a dramatic 19-lap photo finish to win the season-opening race. Riding a Pirelli-shod Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP KTM, Almansa started from pole, led for much of the race and carried the better exit from the last corner to the line to secure victory — the closest Moto3 finish since the 2013 Australian Grand Prix.
Almansa set the tone in practice and qualifying: he topped Saturday morning FP2 with a 1:40.922 lap on the 4.55km Chang International Circuit (the only rider in the 1:40s in FP2) and then took pole with a 1:40.088 in qualifying, a time that eclipsed Jose Antonio Rueda’s 2025 all-time lap record of 1:40.350. FP2 placed Adrian Fernández and Máximo Quiles among the session leaders as well (reports list Fernández’s FP2 time as either 1:41.278 or 1:41.202), and Álvaro Carpe and Fernández filled the second and third slots on the grid with 1:40.518 and 1:40.693 respectively.
The race furnished tense moments and drama: Quiles, who had started fourth, briefly took the lead on lap 11 before running wide at Turn 1 and allowing Almansa back through; Quiles launched a last-corner attack but Almansa’s momentum to the line decided the outcome. Quiles finished a scant 0.003 seconds behind, while Valentín Perrone came home third 9.480 seconds back. Álvaro Carpe was fourth and Moto3 debutant Veda Pratama fifth; Adrian Fernández finished sixth. The result moved Almansa to the top of the Moto3 standings with 25 points, Quiles sat second on 20 and Perrone third on 16. The race also featured one retirement (Cormac Buchanan) and incidents including Ryusei Yamanaka and Guido Pini crashing earlier and remounting.
Fabio Quartararo crashed at Turn 5 on the opening day of the Sepang MotoGP test, falling on his third lap and being taken to the circuit medical centre. Initial checks ruled out fractures but found abrasions to his left arm. But a later assessment revealed a broken finger on his right hand and a sore arm. He returned in the afternoon, added laps, and posted the ninth-fastest time on Yamaha’s much-changed V4 M1, but Yamaha and Quartararo ended his Sepang program after a total of 24 laps (eight in the morning, 16 in the afternoon) so the finger could heal.
The early exit cost Yamaha valuable test time at a session dedicated to assessing the new V4 package. Other V4-related problems emerged during the test, including Andrea Dovizioso stopping with a problem, and team principal Massimo Meregalli even suggested the team might consider benching a rider if necessary. Quartararo himself said the new V4 remained “very, very far” from where it needed to be for one-lap pace and race performance. Yamaha therefore lost on-track data and setup time that had been earmarked for refining handling, electronics, and race pace ahead of the season.
Yamaha and Quartararo prioritised recovery with the Thailand GP opener and a Buriram test (Feb 21–22) in mind. The rider confirmed he planned to skip the rest of Sepang to be fit for those next outings. The withdrawal underlined the preseason trade-off between protecting rider health and securing development mileage on radically updated machinery.
Separately, reports linking Quartararo to a Honda deal for 2027–28 were noted during the test, raising the prospect that 2026 might be his final season with Yamaha.
Brad Binder’s 2027 MotoGP future remains unsettled after KTM confirmed he will not ride for its factory team that season and moved to a new lineup featuring Alex Marquez and Fabio di Giannantonio. Binder said his plans are “a little bit up in the air,” and added that he expected more clarity in the coming weeks while his manager explores options. He has spent his entire MotoGP career with KTM, but the reshuffle leaves his next move unclear, with World Superbike still a possible alternative if he does not land a MotoGP seat.
Pedro Acosta offered public support for Binder, saying he would “definitely” give him his bike and praising Binder’s work ethic and commitment even though the results have not matched the effort. Acosta said Binder “definitely” deserves a ride for 2027. Acosta is also leaving KTM after 2026 to join Ducati’s factory team alongside Marc Marquez, and said he was comfortable with KTM bringing in “new blood” for its future plans.
Tech3 is the only team reported to still lack a finalized 2027 lineup, but Binder is not viewed as a leading candidate for one of its seats and has also been removed from Tech3’s shortlist, according to reports. Neil Hodgson said Tech3 owner Guenther Steiner should reconsider leaving Binder out, especially as the team is expected to weigh pairing a rookie with a more experienced rider. Binder’s options are narrowing quickly as the rider market takes shape, with his next MotoGP move likely to become clearer within weeks.
Miguel Oliveira Fights To Get Back on Track
Miguel Oliveira is among the unluckiest MotoGP riders over the last 12 months, and he just can’t seem to catch a break.
The Portuguese star fractured his wrist at Mandalika in September 2024, ending his season early. He returned to action earlier this year, but crashed in the Gran Premio de Argentina Sprint, forcing him off the bike for two months.
Seven Crashes in 12 Months
Miguel has crashed seven times in sprint and GP races over the past 12 months, his latest coming last weekend as he returned from injury. While the fans expected the best of the Portuguese rider, his doctor, Gonzalo Morais Sarmento, stated that we will only see Miguel at 100% in the Italian or Netherlands Grand Prix.
The Prima Pramac rider was adamant to prove his doctor wrong, and went out hard in the early stages of the French Grand Prix. He was comfortably inside the top 10 at the business end of the race, before a sharp turn sent the five-time winner careening into the asphalt eight laps from home.
Oliveira escaped that tumble without major injury and managed to see the bright side, calling the weekend a success because he made it back onto his bike.
MotoGP British GP
The next step is completing a race, and “Falcao” will set his sights on crossing the line at the Tissot Grand Prix of the United Kingdom at Silverstone Circuit this weekend.
Miguel returns to a familiar track where he earned his best result in the last 24 months, back in 2023. He held on for fourth place in the Sunday Grand Prix behind Aleix Espargaró, Francesco Bagnaia, and Brad Binder. However, his visit to the Isles in 2024 ended early after he slid into his teammate Raul Fernandez on the first lap.
While his big-picture goals of competing for a championship will need to wait until 2026, the Portuguese racer would love to bring some sparkle back to a career that looked so promising a few years back.
Moto 2 and Moto 3 Success
Top-3 runs in the Moto 2 Championship in 2017 and 2018, including three wins in each season, increased the hype around the Portuguese rider. He then won a pair of races and finished ninth overall in MotoGP in 2020. Miguel enjoyed further success in 2022, when he logged two more victories.
His MotoGP record reads five wins and seven podiums in seven years on the circuit. The man from Almada knows how to win, he just needs to rediscover his confidence.
Final Thoughts
Miguel Oliveira has only broken into the top 10 once since the 2024 United Kingdom GP, ending in 10th at the Emilia-Romagna GP last year.
Despite the recent issues, Oliveira is still in his racing prime and capable of getting back on track, literally and figuratively. Hopefully, the road ahead is brighter for the Prima Pramac team member than it has been over the last 12 months.
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The fastest riders on two wheels return to Spain this weekend for the second race in the Southern European nation in 2025. Marc Marquez leads the series and the MotoGP Aragon Grand Prix pre-event odds for the sprint and main event. The younger Marquez lines up in his home Grand Prix after earning his sixth …
Almansa wins Buriram Moto3 GP by 0.003s
David Almansa produced a dominant weekend at the 2026 Moto3 Thai Grand Prix in Buriram, claiming pole, topping final practice and then edging Máximo Quiles by 0.003 seconds in a dramatic 19-lap photo finish to win the season-opening race. Riding a Pirelli-shod Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP KTM, Almansa started from pole, led for much of the race and carried the better exit from the last corner to the line to secure victory — the closest Moto3 finish since the 2013 Australian Grand Prix.
Almansa set the tone in practice and qualifying: he topped Saturday morning FP2 with a 1:40.922 lap on the 4.55km Chang International Circuit (the only rider in the 1:40s in FP2) and then took pole with a 1:40.088 in qualifying, a time that eclipsed Jose Antonio Rueda’s 2025 all-time lap record of 1:40.350. FP2 placed Adrian Fernández and Máximo Quiles among the session leaders as well (reports list Fernández’s FP2 time as either 1:41.278 or 1:41.202), and Álvaro Carpe and Fernández filled the second and third slots on the grid with 1:40.518 and 1:40.693 respectively.
The race furnished tense moments and drama: Quiles, who had started fourth, briefly took the lead on lap 11 before running wide at Turn 1 and allowing Almansa back through; Quiles launched a last-corner attack but Almansa’s momentum to the line decided the outcome. Quiles finished a scant 0.003 seconds behind, while Valentín Perrone came home third 9.480 seconds back. Álvaro Carpe was fourth and Moto3 debutant Veda Pratama fifth; Adrian Fernández finished sixth. The result moved Almansa to the top of the Moto3 standings with 25 points, Quiles sat second on 20 and Perrone third on 16. The race also featured one retirement (Cormac Buchanan) and incidents including Ryusei Yamanaka and Guido Pini crashing earlier and remounting.
Quartararo Breaks Finger, Ending Yamaha Sepang Test
Fabio Quartararo crashed at Turn 5 on the opening day of the Sepang MotoGP test, falling on his third lap and being taken to the circuit medical centre. Initial checks ruled out fractures but found abrasions to his left arm. But a later assessment revealed a broken finger on his right hand and a sore arm. He returned in the afternoon, added laps, and posted the ninth-fastest time on Yamaha’s much-changed V4 M1, but Yamaha and Quartararo ended his Sepang program after a total of 24 laps (eight in the morning, 16 in the afternoon) so the finger could heal.
The early exit cost Yamaha valuable test time at a session dedicated to assessing the new V4 package. Other V4-related problems emerged during the test, including Andrea Dovizioso stopping with a problem, and team principal Massimo Meregalli even suggested the team might consider benching a rider if necessary. Quartararo himself said the new V4 remained “very, very far” from where it needed to be for one-lap pace and race performance. Yamaha therefore lost on-track data and setup time that had been earmarked for refining handling, electronics, and race pace ahead of the season.
Yamaha and Quartararo prioritised recovery with the Thailand GP opener and a Buriram test (Feb 21–22) in mind. The rider confirmed he planned to skip the rest of Sepang to be fit for those next outings. The withdrawal underlined the preseason trade-off between protecting rider health and securing development mileage on radically updated machinery.
Separately, reports linking Quartararo to a Honda deal for 2027–28 were noted during the test, raising the prospect that 2026 might be his final season with Yamaha.
Binder’s 2027 MotoGP future hangs after KTM reshuffle
Brad Binder’s 2027 MotoGP future remains unsettled after KTM confirmed he will not ride for its factory team that season and moved to a new lineup featuring Alex Marquez and Fabio di Giannantonio. Binder said his plans are “a little bit up in the air,” and added that he expected more clarity in the coming weeks while his manager explores options. He has spent his entire MotoGP career with KTM, but the reshuffle leaves his next move unclear, with World Superbike still a possible alternative if he does not land a MotoGP seat.
Pedro Acosta offered public support for Binder, saying he would “definitely” give him his bike and praising Binder’s work ethic and commitment even though the results have not matched the effort. Acosta said Binder “definitely” deserves a ride for 2027. Acosta is also leaving KTM after 2026 to join Ducati’s factory team alongside Marc Marquez, and said he was comfortable with KTM bringing in “new blood” for its future plans.
Tech3 is the only team reported to still lack a finalized 2027 lineup, but Binder is not viewed as a leading candidate for one of its seats and has also been removed from Tech3’s shortlist, according to reports. Neil Hodgson said Tech3 owner Guenther Steiner should reconsider leaving Binder out, especially as the team is expected to weigh pairing a rookie with a more experienced rider. Binder’s options are narrowing quickly as the rider market takes shape, with his next MotoGP move likely to become clearer within weeks.