Saturday’s qualifying at the historic TT Circuit in Assen brought Miguel Oliveira and KTM into the second row with sixth place in the crucial Q2 session. The Portuguese ace stopped the clock at 1’32.450, more than six tenths of a second behind Poleman Maverick Vinales, which made him by far the best RC16 in the field.
“Overall, it was a positive day. Maybe we are not quite on the same level as the last missions, but the starting point is the same as the Sachsenring – he underlined – It doesn’t look like an easy race on paper We still have a few areas of the bike to perfect, but I am aware of our potential. “
This morning the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider managed to finish in the top 10 after a steep start to the weekend, with 14th place in FP1 and the rain that messed up the riders ‘and teams’ plans.
“Unfortunately the rain interrupted our work schedule yesterday afternoon. The track corresponds to the characteristics of the Yamaha, and they can easily bring the tires up to temperature. As for us, we haven’t decided which specification to use tomorrow. We will decide at the end of the warm-up. “
After three podiums in a row, the 26-year-old hopes to build on the positive progress made since the Mugello Grand Prix. However, he will be watching the YZR-M1 closely …
“Every weekend is a story in itself. KTM has shown that it has the potential to win, but it will be difficult to beat Vinales and Quartararo as they have great pace. An interesting group is forming behind it, of course we hope to join them as before, ”he concluded.