KTM’s Miguel Oliveira on Sunday has won a delayed and soaking wet 2022 Indonesian MotoGP at Mandalika. He was 2,205 seconds behind Fabio Quartararo and 3,158 seconds behind Johan Zarco.
The Portuguese rider admitted the first podium and a Mandalika trophy will go to his seven-month-old daughter.
“The good start I had was crucial for the course of the race, otherwise I don’t know where I would have finished as you couldn’t see much between the spray of all the other riders. Even when I was riding alone I could barely see anything, I could have used a wiper on my visor.” Oliveira said.
“I promised my daughter a trophy from Indonesia, so this is for her. Now we go to Argentina and work hard to keep the level high.” Oliveira added.
Oliveira could not say with conviction that he could have won in dry conditions. In any case, it was especially important to get another good result after the crash in Qatar and the very disappointing second half of the 2021 season.
“I really needed a good result. In Qatar I would have been satisfied with a top 10 result, I couldn’t compete for the podium there and certainly not from fourteenth place on the grid.” Oliveira said.
“I wanted to start the season with a decent result and build from there, but if you’re riding so close to first position and you see the chance to win then why not?
“I didn’t hold back and that’s my mentality for the coming races. We have to take advantage of these first two races, because they were two strange races for everyone, and continue the upward trend from there.” he added.
Oliveira is fourth in the championship with 25 points, just five points behind MotoGP leader Enea Bastianini.
The next Grand Prix will take place on the weekend of April 1 to 3 at Termas de Rio Hondo in Argentina.
