Miguel Oliveira (KTM) and the Million Dollar Question / MotoGP SPEEDWEEK

MotoGP

of Steve English – 28.11.2018 19:45

On the first day of testing in Jerez, Miguel Oliveira, rookie in MotoGP, finished 23rd, but the Tech3 KTM rider saw "small steps in the right direction".

"I feel a little better on the bike, even though I have not managed to gather all the sectors for a good time, it's a small step in the right direction," said Miguel Oliveira on his first day. of tests in Jerez. "We know that the bike needs more time for the moment, there is still work to be done, especially for our team, which needs to have a first look at the KTM."

Tech3 moves to KTM after many years Yamaha for the coming season. "KTM has set up a crew that will support us at every Grand Prix.In addition to our team, we have experienced people who can give us advice and gather information.I do not really consider myself a non-manufacturer driver It is quite unique in the paddock.KTM's contribution to "the junior team" is excellent, "congratulated the Portuguese, who also stressed that in addition to working on the new bike, his driving style had to be adapted.

"It also takes time to understand how to ride a bike naturally, I have to slow down a bit to force it into the corner, and we are also working a little bit on the combination of cornering stability and power delivery," he said. declared.

"The first MotoGP test in Valencia was a success for me, I had no comparison, but Jerez is a challenge, you drive off corners here with a lot of inclination.If you want to be fast here, everything has to be done. 39, integrate into the electronic configuration The bike is quite good at braking, it stops perfectly.It is often a question of choosing the line during turns and determine how fast you can attach the bike to accelerate quickly and advance It's not natural for me, the Moto2 riding style was quite different, here we use the rear wheel brake much more, I still have to have an idea. "

At the end of the first day, Oliveira finished only 23rd, his gap with Danilo Petrucci's best time was 3,731 seconds.

Nevertheless, the rookie MotoGP was optimistic: "The changes we are making are producing positive results, so we do not have to go back, we can continue with the ideas we have. need time to understand the bike, the electronics, the frame and all the rest.If you have a rookie, you also do not know what percentage of driving and how much is costing the bike.It is difficult to say, "he admitted openly.

But how many laps does it take for the MotoGP bike to feel natural? "That's the million dollar question, and I hope it will come soon," laughs Oliveira. "We are used to speed, the bike is always a bike, you just have to go for miles, of course, I think I'm level, a good driver does not take too much time, but a big jump is magic. . "

Jerez Test, 1st day, November 28th

1. Petrucci, Ducati, 1: 37.968 min
2. Dovizioso, Ducati, 0.217 sec
3. Nakagami, Honda, + 0.380 sec
4. Viñales, Yamaha, + 0.408 sec
5. Márquez, Honda, + 0.549 sec
6. Morbidelli, Yamaha, + 0.691 sec
7. Lorenzo, Honda, + 0,781 sec
8. Miller, Ducati, + 0.848 sec
9. Bautista, Ducati, + 0.862 sec
10. Me, Suzuki, + 0.988 sec
11. Iannone, Aprilia, + 1,040 sec
12. Rabat, Ducati, + 1.129 sec
13. Rins, Suzuki, + 1.182 sec
14. Bagnaia, Ducati, + 1.189 sec
15. Pol Espargaró, KTM, + 1.273 sec
16th Quartararo, Yamaha, + 1,446 sec
17. Rossi, Yamaha, + 1,596 sec
18. Smith, Aprilia, + 2.206 sec
19. Zarco, KTM, +2.224 sec
20. Abraham, Ducati, + 2,470 sec
21. Syahrin, KTM, + 2.662 sec
22. Guintoli, Suzuki, + 2.775 sec
23. Oliveira, KTM, + 3.731 sec
24. Baiocco, Aprilia, + 4.798 sec