March 29, 2024

Exklusiv: Nach dem Quali in Montmeló spazierten Miguel und Paulo Oliveira mit Paolo Ciabatti (rechts) in Office von Gresini Racing

Miguel Oliveira: Do you agree with Gresini-Ducati for 2023? / MotoGP

With Red Bull-KTM giving its seat to Jack Miller, Miguel Oliveira plans to move to Gresini Racing. After the Barcelona qualifiers there was a crucial meeting.

Jack Miller was disappointed as he was already imagining before the start of the season that Ducati would be replaced by Ina Bastianini or Jorge Martin after 2022, despite two GP wins and a fourth place in the 2021 World Championship in the Lenovo factory team. And Miguel Oliveira showed little sympathy with KTM’s plans to bring Miller to the Red Bull KTM Factory team and bring him back to the KTM Tech3 customer team despite his four MotoGP victories in two and a half years. The Portuguese saw the intent of the Austrians as a loss of prestige and as a sign of mistrust on the part of their employer KTM. Because Hervé Poncharal’s Tech3 team is actually a small team; In 2022, rookies Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez will lead there.

Oliveira already announced his displeasure with KTM’s plans at Mugello last week. “Yes, KTM offered me a place in Tech3 for 2023 before the Italian Grand Prix. I’ll think about it, but it’s not the place of my dreams. My preferred solution is no longer available,” he said, referring to the Red Bull-KTM team, which will consist of Binder and Miller in year 2023.

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Several similar team sites are no longer available as Joan Mir will join Repsol, Ducati take the top two teams, Monster-Yamaha reaches out to Quartararo, Morbidelli and Aprilia Racing have extended the contracts of Aleix Espargaró and Viñales until the end of 2024.

Now there’s an exchange of rings between Ducati and KTM in the near future: Miller is returning to Red Bull KTM after eight years, and Oliveira is likely to switch to Ducati and Gresini Racing after seven years with Red Bull-KTM. There, the place for the three-time season winner, Bastianini, will be free, which will end up at “70 percent” next to Bagnaia at Ducati Lenovo.

He heard from Italy today that Miguel and his father, manager Paolo, had already accepted Ducati’s offer. After qualifying, the duo walked to the Grassini Racing Camp, accompanied by Siapatti, where Faust’s widow, Nadia Padovani, had the final say in choosing the driver as team owner. She should be responsible for the decision with her sponsors.

Paolo Ciabati, accompanied by Miguel and Paolo Oliveira, confirmed the split between Ducati and Miller before going to Gresini. No longer a surprise. Ciabati: “We told Jack and his manager Aki Ajo: If you’re looking for a place on the factory team, please take a look around because we can’t get Jack a place on the 2023 factory team. We knew they were negotiating with KTM.”

Ducati may have exchanged Johann Zarco for Gresini if ​​Miller agreed to place Bramac. After the Australian left, Ducati had to make short changes.

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“We have a very close relationship with the Gresini Racing Team,” Ciabati explained. “The officials always consult with us when it comes to driver decisions. We checked the available drivers at a good standard. Because when the MotoGP team is used to winning, it is difficult to replace this top rider with a Novice.”

If the new partnership between Oliveira, Ducati Corse and Gresini Racing closes, the eight places on the coveted Desmosedici machines for 2023 should close:

Ducati Lenovo: Bagnaya and Bastianini
Prima Pramac Ducati: Martin and Zarco.
Moni VR46 Ducati: Marini and Pizzi.
Gresini Racing: Oliveira and Di Giannantonio.

Miguel Oliveira wonders why KTM chose Miller (three moto wins in seven and a half years) over the 2023 Red Bull KTM Factory Team despite having four MotoGP victories in three and a half years.

“The fact that he finished fourth in the world championship last year and fifth in the world championship even the Mugello GP speaks volumes for Jack Miller,” said KTM Motorsport Director Pit Beirer.

That negotiations for Miller were led by his manager Aki Ajo, whose team has racked up more than half of KTM’s GP victories in the Moto3 and Moto2 classes, and who, after Oliveira and Bender, also has Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez in the moto. The World Championships held was definitely not a competitive disadvantage.