Miguel Oliveira takes 15th place in MotoGP of Qatar, won by champion Bagnaia

Portuguese rider Miguel Oliveira (Aprilia) finished 15th this Sunday in the Qatar Grand Prix, the opening race of the MotoGP World Championship, won by two-time champion, Italian Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati).

The Portuguese Trackhouse rider crossed the line 20.717 seconds behind the winner, with South African Brad Binder (KTM) second on 1.329 seconds and Spaniard Jorge Martin (Ducati) third on 1.933.

The start was disrupted by a technical problem suffered by Spaniard Raul Fernandez (Aprilia), Miguel Oliveira’s trackhouse teammate, forcing race management to shorten the race to 21 laps. Fernandez had to switch to a spare bike and ride from the back of the grid, and the start was about 12 minutes late.

Francesco Bagnaia, who started from fifth place, was already in the lead in the middle of the first lap, setting a pace that saved him from the attacks of his rivals.

Miguel Oliveira was forced to serve a “long lap penalty”, referring to an incident last season that occurred at this track in Lusail.

The Almada driver dropped to 19th place, but gradually recovered until he finished in 15th place, earning him his first championship point.

Jorge Martin, who was leaving pole, was still trying to attack second place late in the day, but Brad Binder held on.

Spaniard Marc Marquez (Ducati), who made his debut for Gresini’s private team this weekend, was fourth, 3.429 seconds behind the winner.

Another highlight was Spanish rookie Pedro Acosta (GasGas), who found himself in ninth place after being fifth for the first half of the race before his physique and tires wore out.

Following this Sunday’s results, Francesco Bagnaia leads the championship with 31 points, two more than South African Brad Binder and three more than Jorge Martin. Miguel Oliveira is 15th with one point.

Next up is the Portuguese Grand Prix, which will take place from March 22 to 24 at the Algarve International Circuit (AIA) in Portimão.