“My goal is to have a competitive bike and that is the case with Ducati.” Miguel Oliveira confirms rumors but says he has an “open future”

Last week, on the eve of the Catalunya Grand Prix, Miguel Oliveira confirmed that he will leave KTM at the end of the season after being offered to return to Tech3, the satellite team. In Barcelona, ​​​​in the middle of the circuit, the Portuguese pilot was seen entering the Gresini-Ducati garage with his father — and rumors grew that this will be Oliveira’s fate.

This Wednesday, in statements to the official Moto GP website, Miguel Oliveira did not hide his closeness to Ducati but assured that nothing is closed yet. “My goal is to compete with a competitive bike. And that is the case for Ducati at the moment. Looks like there’s a vacancy on the team. We had a brief meeting. We wanted to get to know each other, so we sat down and talked. It’s nothing serious yet, so my future is still open. My goal is to be on a bike that is capable of winning races”, said the Portuguese rider, adding that he intends to have his future decided “in the next week or two”.

in what team will it be @_moliveira88 ride in 2023? ????

The Portuguese pilot has confirmed that one of his options is with @GresiniRacing ????#MotoGP | ????https://t.co/bYruN2gxxA

— MotoGP™???? (@MotoGP) June 8, 2022

Remember that, on the KTM side, Miguel Oliveira has everything practically closed. After the Portuguese driver rejected a return to Tech3 that would clearly mean relegation, the Austrian team announced the hiring of Jack Miller, who will team up with Brad Binder next season. In other words, if Oliveira signs for Gresini-Ducati, it will be a direct exchange with the 27-year-old Australian.

In the last Grand Prix, with the rumors already on the surface, Miguel Oliveira placed 9th in Barcelona and joined the second consecutive top 10 after also being 9th in Mugello. The rider from Almada is currently in 11th position in the Moto GP World Championship and will compete again on June 19, at the German Grand Prix.

The announced goodbye of Miguel Oliveira to KTM (still without an alternative): “My future is going to be bright. I deserve so much more.”