Oliveira: KTM’s MotoGP results “not reflecting our true pace”
Miguel Oliveira doesn’t believe KTM has hit a wall in terms of progress in the 2021 MotoGP season and says the results “are not reflecting our true position” right now.
KTM has scored just two top five results in 2021 courtesy of Brad Binder in Portugal and Tech3’s Danilo Petrucci in last weekend’s flag-to-flag French GP, while Oliveira is yet to crack the top 10.
This is in stark contrast to KTM’s form at the beginning of last season, with Binder winning the third round at Brno, while Oliveira was victorious two races later in the Styrian GP.
As such, and as one of only two manufacturers able to develop their engines ahead of the 2021 campaign, much was expected of the Austrian marque’s factory line-up.
Most of KTM’s troubles centre on Michelin’s front tyre allocation in 2021, with both Binder and Oliveira repeatedly vocal over their dislike of the options available.
Despite its poor form so far, though, Oliveira disagreed when asked if KTM had hit a wall with its RC16.
“I have to disagree, I don’t think we’ve hit a wall,” he said after crashing out of last week’s French GP.
“Maybe in Qatar we were kind of struggling and that was our reality, but since then I think we have made small steps towards a good place and at the moment the final results are not really reflecting our true position and that’s what’s really frustrating about not finishing a race, it’s that you cannot show what you can do in these conditions.
“That’s what counts at the end of today and for Mugello that’s what we have to aim for, to finish the race.
“In my approach there’s nothing I could do differently, in the team’s approach they are doing everything they can.
“So, there is not a pressure environment that is making me not finish the races.”
Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Team-mate Binder admits he “expected a lot more” from himself in 2021 but is convinced KTM can turn around its misfortune soon.
“To be honest I expected a lot more from myself at the beginning of the season,” he said following his 13th-place finish at Le Mans.
“It has been super tough and I think there’s been, I don’t know, three of the races have been a borderline disaster.
“So, it’s not adding up many points in that situation, so it is tough at the moment.
“But I don’t think it’s nothing I can’t change and I believe we’re going to get to places where we’ll be much better, and of course there will be some places that are a little bit more of a challenge – like here, for example.
“I couldn’t really get comfortable and find my speed. It was a really frustrating weekend for me, I just never felt like I could break through and be quick in any session, where normally when I do struggle, I always seem to find a way.”
Related video
Miller: 2021 Ducati the best it's had in MotoGP
Morbidelli “conscious of interest” from rival MotoGP manufacturers
MotoGP Japanese GP: Full Moto2 and Moto3 race results
Ai Ogura delighted home fans with victory in the Moto2 race at the MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix, as Izan Guevara strengthened his Moto3 title hopes with a win.
Marquez “boy who cried wolf” when it comes to MotoGP race predictions
Ducati’s Jack Miller says Marc Marquez is “the boy who cried wolf” when it comes to dismissing his own chances of victory in MotoGP races.
Quartararo “a bit lost” in wet MotoGP Japanese GP qualifying
MotoGP championship leader Fabio Quartararo admits he was “a bit lost” in the wet qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix and “expected much better” than ninth.
Bagnaia slams “not acceptable” MotoGP Japanese GP qualifying result
Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia insists there is “something not working” on his bike in wet conditions after ending MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix qualifying a “not acceptable” 12th.
The unique advantage Ducati must now use to win the 2022 MotoGP title
Ducati has littered the grid with eight strong motorcycles that has ensured it has had at least one rider stand on the podium at every grand prix in 2022. The drama of the Aragon Grand Prix has thrust Francesco Bagnaia well and truly into title contention with five races to go, and Ducati must now consider utilising a unique strength it has so far been reticent to embrace
How KTM failed one of its brightest MotoGP prospects
Reigning Moto2 champion Remy Gardner’s career has been derailed by KTM’s decision not to retain him at Tech3 for 2023. Amid difficult circumstances, Gardner hasn’t shamed himself. But KTM’s apparent reasoning for dropping him raises questions about its handling of its young riders and the unrealistic expectations placed on them
Why it won’t just be Marquez’s speed that saves Honda in MotoGP
OPINION: Honda is in the midst of a second winless season in the space of three years. The absence of the injured Marc Marquez has been a major contributing factor, but HRC’s inability to alter its own approach has seen it slide down the order. Marquez returned to the MotoGP paddock in Austria and provided a rallying cry Honda needed to hear.
The signs Quartararo’s 2022 MotoGP title is slipping away from him
Prior to the summer break, the 2022 MotoGP title looked like it was Fabio Quartararo’s to lose. But a crash at Assen and the consequential penalty he had to serve last weekend at Silverstone stopped him from capitalising on a main rival’s injury woes, while a resurgence from another, plus the rise of a former team-mate, look set to conspire against the Yamaha rider
Why Marquez’s toughest MotoGP foe is stopping at the right time
On the eve of the British Grand Prix, Andrea Dovizioso announced that he will be retiring from MotoGP after September’s San Marino GP. The timing of his departure raised eyebrows, but his reasoning remains sensible and what has happened this year should not diminish a hard-built legacy
Why a Suzuki refugee feels he deserves MotoGP's toughest challenge
Alex Rins’ MotoGP future was plunged into sudden doubt when Suzuki elected to quit the series at the end of 2022. Securing a deal with Honda to join LCR, he will now tread a path that many have fallen off from. But it was a move he felt his status deserved, and it’s a challenge – he tells Autosport - he faces with his eyes wide open…
How Formula 1 has driven MotoGP's changing nature
The hiring of technicians from Formula 1 has clearly contributed to a recent change in the MotoGP landscape, with the role of engineers gaining greater significance relative to the riders. Here's how this shift has come about
The revolution behind Aprilia's rise from MotoGP tail-ender to pack-leader
Coinciding with the arrival of Massimo Rivola as head of its MotoGP division, Aprilia has undergone an internal revolution that has spurred it from occupying last place in the team standings to leading the table in the space of just two years. Those entrenched in the project reveal how the ex-Ferrari F1 chief has achieved the dramatic turnaround