With the Portimao test in the rear-view mirror, the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s riders now set their sights on the upcoming Pirelli Portuguese Round, March 27th-29th. The test was an important juncture for riders like Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and his teammate, Danilo Petrucci, to continue to come to terms with their BMW M 1000 RR bike. Rain unfortunately appeared on track overnight between Day 1 and Day 2, and later in the afternoon on Day 2, preventing Oliveira from logging laps. While the latter day was a wash, Day 1 saw the Portuguese MotoGP race winner enjoy his time atop the German manufacturer’s machine and lay down a very strong set of times.
Oliveira was dealt a tough hand in the offseason, as inclement weather severely limited his dry time on the bike. He had quite a bit to adapt to as he moved from MotoGP to the WorldSBK paddock, where he most recently rode on Yamaha machinery. This test at Portimao was his first opportunity to ride here as a WorldSBK rider after he and his teammate wisely declined to participate in the prior test here in January, which featured rain and strong winds on both days. While rain again fell on Day 2 and led him to turn down participating, Day 1 saw him land fourth-fastest on the timesheets, with a 1’41.366s effort clocking in as the fastest of his 38 laps.
As for his takeaways after the Portimao test, Oliveira said: “The Portimao test was productive but very short. Our priority remains to get me up to speed on my adaptation to the bike so I can prepare for the race weekend. In the short time I had on track, the feelings were positive, but we need more time. Our goal in the test was to achieve good, quality time on top of the M 1000 RR. I was able to get a taste of the Portimao track on my bike, which, on its own is already a lot to learn. As for the upcoming round, it’s the wish of every rider to race in their home country. For me, it’s no different. I’m excited and motivated to please my crowd with the best possible performance.”
Oliveira’s home round at Portimao awaits! Don’t miss a moment by subscribing to the WorldSBK VideoPass!