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Mandalika (Indonesia) (AFP) – Miguel Oliveira got the nerve to win a rain-stricken Indonesian MotoGP on Sunday and then promised to give the trophy to his daughter.
The Portuguese KTM rider drove 2,205 seconds ahead of current world champion Fabio Quartararo from France, who had started from pole position on his Yamaha.
Another Frenchman, Johann Zarco, finished the podium another 3,158 seconds ahead of the Pramac Racing team in a race reduced to 20 laps out of 27 due to safety issues.
“It’s really emotional,” Oliveira said. “I promised my daughter I’ll get a trophy from Indonesia, so this is for you baby.”
The start on the Mandalika International Street Circuit was delayed 75 minutes by heavy rain as the Grand Prix race returned for the first time in a quarter of a century to the motorcycle-crazy Indonesia.
When it finally started, Quartararo comfortably shot into the first corner, but at the end of the first round was rolled by Oliveira and Australian Jack Miller on a Ducati.
It didn’t take Oliveira long behind the Australian to realize he had the grip and pace to stretch on the sodden track.
“I followed Jack a few laps and then I realized I could go a little faster,” Oliveira said.
‘Super happy’
“When I took him over, I was just trying to focus on the next five rounds,” said Oliveira, who took his fourth victory after winning the reins at the Portuguese Grand Prix 2020 in Catalonia last season. .
“Then I built the tomb and I managed it the whole course, but it sure wasn’t easy.”
Miller was fourth, with Spanish couple Alex Rins and Joan Mir fifth and sixth.
World Cup leader Enea Bastianini from Italy, who won the season opener in Qatar two weeks ago, struggled in the wet and was only able to reach the second row of the grid in 11th place.
The Italian remains at the top of the World Cup after two races at 30 points, two ahead of South African Brad Binder with Quartararo one point further back to third.
Oliveira’s 25 points for the victory raised him to fourth in the standings.
Quartararo was happy to fight back to grab what he said was his first podium in the wet, after battling in the opening rounds and falling to fifth on a stage.
“To be honest, from the warm-up round, I felt like we had something extra, because we know we’re always struggling in the wet condition,” Quartararo said.
“So I saw an opportunity and I go for it. I think it’s my first podium in the wet, so I’m super happy because we found something in the wet.”
Marquez Horror Crash
Zarco was a little disappointed that he could not push hard early in the race and when he found the track and grip it was too late to finish higher than third.
“It’s a podium in MotoGP that’s always great, but I really need some time,” he said.
“So I lost at least too much time for the second place, but when the truck was clear, I could be very fast. So third place, I take it.”
Six-time world champion Marc Marquez has previously been ruled out with a concussion following a horror morning warm-up crash that he catapulted into round seven in the air.
The Spaniard’s Honda cartwheeled end-over-end as it disintegrated with Marquez appearing to land hard on his left arm and hit his helmet on the ground at around 180kph (112mph).
A shaken Marquez climbed to his feet and proceeded cautiously before being taken to a nearby hospital for medical checks, where he was declared unable to run.
Marquez had already suffered a bruise weekend, two crashes during qualifying on Saturday.
MotoGP returns to Indonesia for the first time since 1997 at the new location on the resort island of Lombok.
© 2022 AFP
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