Low-Key Valencia Farewell: Oliveira Finishes 17th, Eyes BMW Switch

Miguel Oliveira could not script the fairy-tale farewell many Portuguese fans had hoped for. The rider from Almada closed his final MotoGP sprint with a discreet 17th place at the Ricardo Tormo circuit, more than 15 s adrift of the winner, yet still extracted enough information to keep his trademark smile. The performance, while modest on paper, explained a season of persistent technical gremlins and sets the stage for his forthcoming move to BMW’s World Superbike project, with the first test scheduled for Jerez in early December.

Perils of the first metres

A glance at the timing sheets hides the drama that unfolded in the opening handful of corners. Oliveira launched from 18th on the grid aboard the CryptoDATA RNF Aprilia RS-GP, then hesitated into Turn 1—a moment he later called a “mau arranque”. That brief pause dropped him to 23rd, forcing an exercise in damage limitation for the remaining 13 laps. The sprint, won by Spain’s Álex Márquez ahead of rookie sensation Pedro Acosta and the ever-aggressive Fabio Di Giannantonio, quickly stretched into separate micro-races. In the front group Ducati horsepower dictated terms; further back, Oliveira clawed his way forward with an Aprilia that still resisted aggressive throttle inputs. He regained six positions, enough to salvage pride but not points, crossing the line as the last rider on the lead lap.

An intractable Aprilia

Post-race debriefs sounded painfully familiar. The Portuguese rider cited a chronic lack of rear grip, a problem he first noticed as far back as Portimão in March. Team manager Wilco Zeelenberg admitted that engineers struggled to deliver a “balanced bike” capable of carving through Valencia’s endless left-hand carousel. Without confidence on corner entry, Oliveira could not generate the mechanical grip needed to launch out of Turn 12, the sector that decides a lap at Cheste. “A moto simplesmente não funciona”, he muttered in resignation—yet he also praised the crew for squeezing every available tenth from a recalcitrant RS-GP. Aprilia’s current aero-heavy chassis, optimised for fast-flowing venues like Phillip Island, seemed fundamentally unsuited to the tight, stop-and-go ribbon outside Valencia.

Championship maths and Portuguese pride

Because the sprint sits outside full-distance scoring, Oliveira’s result did not drastically alter the season standings; he remained 20th overall with 43 points, well below the highs of his KTM victories in 2020. Still, the weekend mattered for symbolic reasons. The 22nd and final round traditionally serves as MotoGP’s graduation ceremony, and the paddock made a point of saluting the only Portuguese ever to win in the premier class. Fans draped in green-and-red flags filled the grandstands, chanting “Miguel, Miguel” even as the cameras cut to the podium. The modest final tally belies a larger truth: in a championship increasingly dominated by Spanish and Italian factories, Oliveira’s mere presence keeps Portuguese hopes alive.

Next stop, Superbikes

With the chequered flag in Valencia, the 30-year-old closes a seven-season MotoGP journey that produced five premier-class victories, countless injury comebacks and the birth of a racing nation’s modern icon. The next chapter begins almost immediately: on 5 December he will test the new BMW M 1000 RR at Jerez alongside Toprak Razgatlıoğlu, a first step toward a full-time WorldSBK campaign expected to start in 2025. For Portuguese viewers, the Superbike calendar offers a bonus: a guaranteed home round in Portimão next summer. After a year spent searching for grip, Oliveira may finally find the traction he—and his supporters—have been chasing.