Miguel Oliveira has admitted that the Magny-Cours WorldSBK round was one of the toughest weekends of his debut season. The Portuguese rider endured a difficult outing, crashing out of Race 1 and slipping to 15th in Race 2 after a penalty.
Adapting to WorldSBK circuits has been a steep learning curve for Oliveira, who spent years in MotoGP. Tracks like Magny-Cours, Most, Donington Park, Cremona, and Estoril were not on the MotoGP calendar, making them unfamiliar territory.
“The biggest challenge is adapting to WorldSBK tracks, which have significantly more low-speed corners and heavy braking zones compared to the fluid layout of MotoGP circuits,” he told media on Thursday.
A Rollercoaster Weekend in France
The French circuit proved to be a stern test. Oliveira crashed at Turn 8 on Lap 5 of Race 1, but rebounded in the Superpole Race to finish 12th, ahead of teammate Danilo Petrucci in 16th. In Race 2, he crossed the line 13th but was demoted to 15th after a three-second penalty for cutting the track without losing time.
Despite the setbacks, Oliveira emphasized that raw results are secondary at this stage of the season. The priority is long-term development with the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, especially after his contract extension was announced before the weekend.
“The raw result is secondary,” he stated. Oliveira acknowledged that pushing the bike's development might have contributed to his Race 1 crash, but he continues to gain invaluable experience.
“We are using these final races to validate the base setup of the bike, accepting the risks, and building confidence for next year,” he noted.
Reflection and Future Goals
Reflecting on the weekend, Oliveira said, “Magny-Cours was probably one of the toughest rounds of the season so far. We were searching for performance, pure speed, and pace. We found it a little bit in the Superpole Race, but in the afternoon, it became trickier with the slight change of conditions.”
“The good thing is that the team reacted well. We work together and try to push forward. This is what we will keep doing heading to Cremona. We know there's a lot of work to do, and we'll take the challenge onwards.”
Oliveira's season has been hampered by injuries from a crash at Balaton Park in early May, where he suffered a fractured scapula, a broken rib, and shoulder tendon damage. Despite this, he remains the leading rookie with four podiums, including a clean sweep at Portimao and a third-place finish at Balaton Park.
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