From leathers to a chef's hat, Miguel Oliveira attended an event organized in Porto by the sponsor, Estrella Galicia. The Portuguese rider tried his hand at cooking in the company of Chef Joao Amorin. He then talked about his season and his first experience on the Pramac team's Yamaha. Watch the interview above.
You finished your second season with Aprilia, and you probably could've done a lot more without injuries. How have these two years been for you?
"They were two years in which I struggled a lot, both technically and physically, because of injuries. We never managed to reach the goal we set for ourselves. They've been two difficult years in my MotoGP career, but I think it ultimately will make me a stronger and more complete rider. I've been able to adapt to a very different bike than what I was used to, and I've also made strides in my riding style, so I think that's something positive for me in the future."
In Germany, you finished second in the Sprint and sixth in the GP. What was special about that weekend? What makes a race perfect for you?
"I had maybe my best weekend in Germany, because I was able to get on the podium in the Sprint on Saturday, then I was very competitive in the race on Sunday. Our bike was the first non-Ducati at the finish line, so I was very happy with that, as well. As for a perfect race, it would probably be one where you start first and finish first. But I'd probably prefer a victory achieved at the last corner more. That would be the perfect race."
At the end of the season, you injured your wrist in Indonesia. Have you fully recovered? Why did it take so long?
"I recovered within the expected time period, at least for six weeks. What happened was that I missed five races in a row. It seemed like a long time, but it was actually short. The fact is that I had to watch five races from home. The fall was due to bad luck. There was a short circuit in the bike's ECU. That caused me to lose all control systems, and I fell on the handlebars. When you have a fall like that, the injuries are a matter of luck. It's a very complicated type of fall. You can be unlucky if you hit the handlebars or land too hard on the asphalt. But I quickly returned home and had surgery, then everything went well. Now I'm in perfect shape."
Other Estrella Galicia 0.0 ambassadors, like you, try to improve every day. What does nonconformity mean to you? Do you consider yourself a nonconformist?
"I think it all comes from the desire to learn and to accept every challenge in life as something that makes you evolve as a person. Motorcycle racing is the most important part of my life right now, because I've been racing for so many years. But, eventually, in thirty years, I know I'll look back and see this period of my life as something that happened too fast, something too short. When I'm forty-five or fifty years old, I want to look back and see that my competitive career had personal value and that I was able to pass it on to my children. Also, the time spent competing may have been an inspiration or an example to someone else."
How was your debut with Yamaha MotoGP in Barcelona? What were your sensations with the new team?
"It was a very good day. Actually, it was more of a day where we arrived and got to know the bike and the team very quickly, because we didn't have time to sit down and work a lot. First, because the team was coming from celebrating the world championship and, secondly, because they had a new bike. Yamaha helped me a lot during the day to go from one bike to another. Technically, we couldn't go too deep because everything was new, but I had a lot of fun. It's clear that the bike needs to be improved, but I felt really good, and that made me very happy and motivated for the next test. We're looking forward to the next one."
With the season over, what will these months be like until the start of pre-season 2025 in February?
"Since my home life is always very busy with children and daily matters, time passes very quickly for me so, when I least expect it, I know I'll be on the plane for the tests in Malaysia. Now, I spend my time preparing, physically, doing things that, during the season, you don't have much time to do ... longer cardio workouts or playing with something you can't do during the season. It's two months, but it goes by very fast with Christmas and New Year. Everything goes by very fast."