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.
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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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Day 1 at the Sepang shakedown produced a busy opening to the 2026 MotoGP pre-season. Honda’s Aleix Espargaro topped the day with a provisional 1:58.091, roughly half a second clear of the field. Pramac Yamaha’s Toprak Razgatlioglu made a high‑profile MotoGP debut as the fastest rookie and fourth overall with 1:59.647. LCR rookie Diogo Moreira overcame an early mechanical issue to finish inside the top ten in 2:00.894 (some sources vary on his exact placing). Next, KTM’s Pol Espargaro and KTM test rider Dani Pedrosa ran prominently near the front. Yamaha test riders showed strong top speed, as Augusto Fernández recorded 327.3 km/h, while Ducati test rider Michele Pirro was the last into the 1:59s. Teams evaluated new aero and components in the pitlane; visual updates included Ducati’s new Lenovo livery and several Yamaha M1s fitted with rear aero.
On Day 2, the pace tightened. Aleix Espargaro improved in the morning running to a provisional 1:58.066 on the RC213V, about 0.512 seconds clear of Pol Espargaro. Toprak was third, 1.079 seconds off the morning benchmark and roughly half a second quicker than his Day‑1 time. Jack Miller completed his first laps of the year, while Moreira remained about 2.8 seconds adrift of the leader. Ducati and Aprilia continued to log laps through their test riders. Pirro was 4.934s off the leader, and Lorenzo Savadori 9.972s adrift, as the session, scheduled from 10 am to 6 pm, ran with limited live timing, so times remained provisional.
Across both days, the shakedown functioned more as a technical preview than a definitive performance order. Manufacturers tested aero variations, new engine hardware, and multiple chassis configurations; Yamaha’s V4 program and rear‑aero packages drew particular attention. Several teams ran expanded bike counts. The return of KTM test rider Mika Kallio and planned LCR livery unveilings added visual cues, as teams used long runs and component evaluations to prepare for the official early‑February Sepang test. The shakedown established early benchmarks and highlighted items to monitor as teams moved into the main preseason program.
Jorge Martin tightened the MotoGP title fight at Motegi by taking pole position over Marc Marquez, then watching Marquez answer in the sprint. Martin set a lap-record 1:42.371 in qualifying to edge Marquez by 0.110 seconds, his third pole of the season and second in a row. Pedro Acosta qualified third, with Marco Bezzecchi, Alex Marquez, Fabio di Giannantonio and Enea Bastianini filling out the next rows. The top seven were separated by just 0.298 seconds.
Marquez then took control of the 12-lap sprint by passing Martin at Turn 1 and never giving the lead back. He was 1.2 seconds clear by lap nine and won in dominant fashion for Ducati, cutting five points from Martin’s championship lead. An early crash at Turn 3, after Alex Marquez hit Pedro Acosta from behind, took out Acosta, Alex Marquez and Fabio di Giannantonio.
Martin and Bastianini initially finished second and third on the road, but both were penalized one place for exceeding track limits on the final lap. That promoted rookie Diogo Moreira to second for his first MotoGP podium, with Martin classified third. Pecco Bagnaia retired on the final lap with a shredded rear tire, and after the sprint Martin led Marquez by seven points in the title standings, with Marco Bezzecchi 45 points back.
Heavy rain and flash flooding at the refurbished Autódromo Ayrton Senna in Goiânia threatened final preparations for the MotoGP Brazil Grand Prix, the first Brazilian round in 37 years. A storm that began Monday afternoon returned with force on Tuesday; by 5 p.m. local time the paddock access tunnel was submerged under more than 25 cm of water. Multiple sections of the circuit were waterlogged, including about 12 metres of asphalt in Turn 1, the final corner and the end of the main straight.
Local authorities issued emergency alerts and civil defense warnings as organizers, track teams and the Climate Crisis Office launched recovery operations. Crews used tanker trucks and manual clearing to drain standing water and remove mud, working through Wednesday after initial efforts the previous day. Organizers said they would repeat removal operations because further rain was forecast, noting the situation was time‑sensitive with roughly 48 hours until Moto3 FP1 at 9 a.m. local time on Friday.
By mid‑morning officials reported temperatures around 30°C and said the asphalt was practically dry in places, but they cautioned that an adverse forecast could still compromise the weekend and that drainage and safety conditions must be assessed before any schedule changes. Event organizers stressed they were not discussing cancellation and pledged to do everything possible to stage the Grand Prix, but acknowledged that localized flooding, damage to access routes and the ongoing forecast left the weekend’s staging uncertain.
The incident underlined the tight turnaround and high stakes involved in returning MotoGP to Brazil after more than three decades, as teams and organizers worked against time to restore the circuit ahead of round two of the season.
Franco Morbidelli will leave MotoGP after the 2026 season and join Aruba.it Racing Ducati in WorldSBK in 2027, replacing Nicolò Bulega, who will move to VR46 Ducati. Morbidelli will ride the factory Ducati Panigale V4 R alongside Iker Lecuona.
Ducati confirmed the move after the Japanese Grand Prix, with Morbidelli saying he was “very happy and excited” about the switch. He reportedly beat Manu Gonzalez for the ride, and the move will end his 14-season run in the MotoGP paddock.
A product of the VR46 Riders Academy, Morbidelli won the European Superstock 600 title in 2013 and became Moto2 World Champion in 2017, the first Italian rider to win that class. Across Moto2 and MotoGP, he has started 228 races, with 11 wins, 29 podiums and eight pole positions. His best MotoGP season came in 2020, when he won three races and finished runner-up in the championship. He later became a factory Yamaha rider and suffered a serious knee injury in 2021. Ducati general manager Gigi Dall’Igna called his experience “extremely valuable,” while team principal Stefano Cecconi said his MotoGP background and familiarity with Ducati should help the team adapt to Michelin tires in 2027.
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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Aleix Espargaro Tops Sepang Shakedown with 1:58.066
Day 1 at the Sepang shakedown produced a busy opening to the 2026 MotoGP pre-season. Honda’s Aleix Espargaro topped the day with a provisional 1:58.091, roughly half a second clear of the field. Pramac Yamaha’s Toprak Razgatlioglu made a high‑profile MotoGP debut as the fastest rookie and fourth overall with 1:59.647. LCR rookie Diogo Moreira overcame an early mechanical issue to finish inside the top ten in 2:00.894 (some sources vary on his exact placing). Next, KTM’s Pol Espargaro and KTM test rider Dani Pedrosa ran prominently near the front. Yamaha test riders showed strong top speed, as Augusto Fernández recorded 327.3 km/h, while Ducati test rider Michele Pirro was the last into the 1:59s. Teams evaluated new aero and components in the pitlane; visual updates included Ducati’s new Lenovo livery and several Yamaha M1s fitted with rear aero.
On Day 2, the pace tightened. Aleix Espargaro improved in the morning running to a provisional 1:58.066 on the RC213V, about 0.512 seconds clear of Pol Espargaro. Toprak was third, 1.079 seconds off the morning benchmark and roughly half a second quicker than his Day‑1 time. Jack Miller completed his first laps of the year, while Moreira remained about 2.8 seconds adrift of the leader. Ducati and Aprilia continued to log laps through their test riders. Pirro was 4.934s off the leader, and Lorenzo Savadori 9.972s adrift, as the session, scheduled from 10 am to 6 pm, ran with limited live timing, so times remained provisional.
Across both days, the shakedown functioned more as a technical preview than a definitive performance order. Manufacturers tested aero variations, new engine hardware, and multiple chassis configurations; Yamaha’s V4 program and rear‑aero packages drew particular attention. Several teams ran expanded bike counts. The return of KTM test rider Mika Kallio and planned LCR livery unveilings added visual cues, as teams used long runs and component evaluations to prepare for the official early‑February Sepang test. The shakedown established early benchmarks and highlighted items to monitor as teams moved into the main preseason program.
Marquez powers to sprint win after Martin’s lap-record pole
Jorge Martin tightened the MotoGP title fight at Motegi by taking pole position over Marc Marquez, then watching Marquez answer in the sprint. Martin set a lap-record 1:42.371 in qualifying to edge Marquez by 0.110 seconds, his third pole of the season and second in a row. Pedro Acosta qualified third, with Marco Bezzecchi, Alex Marquez, Fabio di Giannantonio and Enea Bastianini filling out the next rows. The top seven were separated by just 0.298 seconds.
Marquez then took control of the 12-lap sprint by passing Martin at Turn 1 and never giving the lead back. He was 1.2 seconds clear by lap nine and won in dominant fashion for Ducati, cutting five points from Martin’s championship lead. An early crash at Turn 3, after Alex Marquez hit Pedro Acosta from behind, took out Acosta, Alex Marquez and Fabio di Giannantonio.
Martin and Bastianini initially finished second and third on the road, but both were penalized one place for exceeding track limits on the final lap. That promoted rookie Diogo Moreira to second for his first MotoGP podium, with Martin classified third. Pecco Bagnaia retired on the final lap with a shredded rear tire, and after the sprint Martin led Marquez by seven points in the title standings, with Marco Bezzecchi 45 points back.
Goiânia paddock tunnel submerged; Turn 1 waterlogged
Heavy rain and flash flooding at the refurbished Autódromo Ayrton Senna in Goiânia threatened final preparations for the MotoGP Brazil Grand Prix, the first Brazilian round in 37 years. A storm that began Monday afternoon returned with force on Tuesday; by 5 p.m. local time the paddock access tunnel was submerged under more than 25 cm of water. Multiple sections of the circuit were waterlogged, including about 12 metres of asphalt in Turn 1, the final corner and the end of the main straight.
Local authorities issued emergency alerts and civil defense warnings as organizers, track teams and the Climate Crisis Office launched recovery operations. Crews used tanker trucks and manual clearing to drain standing water and remove mud, working through Wednesday after initial efforts the previous day. Organizers said they would repeat removal operations because further rain was forecast, noting the situation was time‑sensitive with roughly 48 hours until Moto3 FP1 at 9 a.m. local time on Friday.
By mid‑morning officials reported temperatures around 30°C and said the asphalt was practically dry in places, but they cautioned that an adverse forecast could still compromise the weekend and that drainage and safety conditions must be assessed before any schedule changes. Event organizers stressed they were not discussing cancellation and pledged to do everything possible to stage the Grand Prix, but acknowledged that localized flooding, damage to access routes and the ongoing forecast left the weekend’s staging uncertain.
The incident underlined the tight turnaround and high stakes involved in returning MotoGP to Brazil after more than three decades, as teams and organizers worked against time to restore the circuit ahead of round two of the season.
Franco Morbidelli confirmed for Aruba.it Ducati in 2027
Franco Morbidelli will leave MotoGP after the 2026 season and join Aruba.it Racing Ducati in WorldSBK in 2027, replacing Nicolò Bulega, who will move to VR46 Ducati. Morbidelli will ride the factory Ducati Panigale V4 R alongside Iker Lecuona.
Ducati confirmed the move after the Japanese Grand Prix, with Morbidelli saying he was “very happy and excited” about the switch. He reportedly beat Manu Gonzalez for the ride, and the move will end his 14-season run in the MotoGP paddock.
A product of the VR46 Riders Academy, Morbidelli won the European Superstock 600 title in 2013 and became Moto2 World Champion in 2017, the first Italian rider to win that class. Across Moto2 and MotoGP, he has started 228 races, with 11 wins, 29 podiums and eight pole positions. His best MotoGP season came in 2020, when he won three races and finished runner-up in the championship. He later became a factory Yamaha rider and suffered a serious knee injury in 2021. Ducati general manager Gigi Dall’Igna called his experience “extremely valuable,” while team principal Stefano Cecconi said his MotoGP background and familiarity with Ducati should help the team adapt to Michelin tires in 2027.