Red Bull Motorsports
MotoGP
Untouchable Oliveira is a MotoGP™ master in Indonesia
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Miguel Oliveira dominated in the rain and team-mate Brad Binder moves to the top of the MotoGP™ championship standings.
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For the first time in 25 years the premier class of world motorcycle racing headed to Indonesia, and following a delayed start after hours of torrential rain and a shortened race distance, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Miguel Oliveira claimed a stunning wet-weather victory.
Scheduled to start at 3pm local time, racing at the Mandalika International Street Circuit eventually got underway just over an hour later. Amid extremely challenging track conditions, Oliveira sailed to his fourth premier class victory ahead of Fabio Quartararo, with a fast and rejuvenated Johann Zarco claiming third on the Pramac Ducati.
Riders battle for position in the spray at the 2022 Indonesian MotoGP™
© Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool
But it didn’t take long for Oliveira to find enough grip and confidence in his bike to power into the lead at the beginning of the second lap, followed by Miller. By the end of the second lap, Miller moved up into the lead, underlining his proven wet-weather credentials on a MotoGP™ machine.
Soon it was the turn of Álex Rins and Johann Zarco to pass a cautious Quartararo and set about trying to reel in the leading duo of Oliveira and Miller, who swapped positions after four laps, with the KTM man hitting the front and clocking an early fastest lap to boot.
KTM's Miguel Oliveira chases down leader Jack Miller
© Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool
The rain finally stopped with 13 of the 20 laps left to run, as Oliveira pulled out a gap of more than two seconds over the chasing Miller. At the halfway point, Oliveira added another second to his advantage as Miller changed his focus from the race lead to the chasing pair of Rins and Zarco - the latter rider proving to be the fastest man on track.
Zarco eventually snatched third from Rins and looked to reduce the gap to fellow Ducati rider Miller in second. The Frenchman was soon with Miller, forcing the Australian to employ some gritty defending, with the duel allowing Quartararo to catch the pair and make it a three-way fight for second place.
Entering the final lap, a rapid Quartararo consolidated second place and looked to reel in race-long leader Oliveira, as Zarco finally dispatched Miller into third to zone in on a 12th MotoGP™ podium.
Johann Zarco scored a hard won podium in Indonesia
© Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool
Up front, Oliveira was peerless. Despite late race pressure from Quartararo, the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider answered the reigning champion’s pace and mastered the extremely tricky conditions to take a fourth premier class victory.
There was double joy for the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing squad as Oliveira’s team-mate Brad Binder followed up his stellar second place last time out in Qatar with seventh. The result hands the South African the lead in the MotoGP™ standings, meaning that the team heads to Argentina leading both the rider’s and the constructor’s standings.
Miguel Oliveira celebrates victory in Indonesia
© Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool
MotoGP™ of Indonesia results
- Miguel Oliveira (POR) – KTM
- Fabio Quartararo (FRA) – Yamaha
- Johann Zarco (FRA) – Ducati
- Jack Miller (AUS) – Ducati
- Álex Rins (ESP) – Suzuki
- Joan Mir (ESP) – Suzuki
- Franco Morbidelli (ITA) – Yamaha
- Brad Binder (SA) – KTM
- Aleix Espargaró (ESP) – Aprilia
- Darren Binder (SA) – Yamaha
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