Oliveira: “Amazing to have the whole country with you” | Jose Mourinho said MotoGP “better than F1”

It was a cruel twist that when Miguel Oliveira dominated the inaugural Portuguese MotoGP at Portimao in 2020 - pole position, fastest lap and victory – the home fans were absent due to Covid restrictions.

During MotoGP’s five visits since, the fans have flocked back to support Oliveira – reaching a new high of 72,549 fans on Sunday and 174,614 for the Portuguese weekend.

But unfortunately, Oliveira is yet to match his 2020 home heroics, with a next best of fifth place, for KTM, in 2022.

This year’s return, now on a factory Aprilia RS-GP for Trackhouse, provided promise on paper, but the 29-year-old is yet to get fully comfortable. Qualifying just 15th on the grid, Oliveira was just eleventh in the Sprint race.

However he enjoyed a stronger showing in the grand prix, overtaking both factory Yamahas to reach ninth, before a tangle with Marco Bezzecchi sent him back to twelfth.

That became ninth when Maverick Vinales, Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia all hit problems in the closing stages.

“It was OK. It could have been 6th place but I got a little too close with Bezzecchi in the first corner, when he pulled next to me and pushed me to the left side of the track,” Oliveira explained.

“I braked on top of the kerb, just went straight and lost three places there. But until then I could at least fight. I made a good start, also a good opening lap and overtook two Yamahas. So not too bad.”

It may not have been the result he or the home fans wanted, but that didn’t dampen the support he received all weekend.

“I think I only saw this [much support] in the years I was in the championship with one rider. And he's retired already. You know who it is,” Oliveira said, referring to Valentino Rossi.

“It's quite amazing to have not just the track but the whole country with you. I can't describe the feeling.

“A little bit of pressure because everyone is shouting your name. But it's good because after this I don't think even [fighting] for a world championship would be more pressure than this… unless it's here! But yeah it was really cool.”

The support for Oliveira echoed across the main straight and into the garages from fans singing in the grandstand: “Yeah [football is a big thing here] - you see how when they shout my name, it’s kind of like a football song!”

Speaking of football, a certain Jose Mourinho was a special guest of MotoGP at Portimao, where he waved the chequered flag in Sunday’s race.

“He watches MotoGP,” Oliveira said. “He likes it. He confessed to me that it's better than F1 - and he has been to a few F1 races!

“So that was a really cool to hear. It was just a normal chat. It was cool to meet him.”