Miguel Oliveira’s first major successes came in 2005 and 2006, when he won the Portuguese MiniGP Championship. In 2009 he finished third in the FIM CEV Repsol Championship, and in 2010 he battled Maverick Viñales for the title until the final race of the season – ultimately finishing runner-up by just two points before making his debut in the Moto3 World Championship in 2011.

Oliveira raced full time with the Estrella Galicia 0.0 team in 2012, taking two podiums, before joining Mahindra Racing in 2013 and making headlines giving the Indian manufacturer its first ever podium in Malaysia. He stayed with Mahindra in 2014 and took another podium at Assen before being recruited by Red Bull KTM Ajo for 2015.

The Moto3 season got off to a difficult start for the Portuguese rider, but he won back-to-back races at Mugello and Assen before breaking his wrist in Germany. All championship hopes looked lost when Danny Kent left the British GP with a 110-point lead over the KTM rider, but an incredible comeback saw Oliveira take four wins and two second places in the final six races to challenge Kent until the final round and end his Moto3 campaign as runner-up, just 6 points short of taking the World Championship crown from the Brit.

For 2016 he joined forces with Kent in the Moto2 World Championship with Leopard Racing, before returning to the Ajo Motorsport camp for 2017, riding the new KTM chassis in Moto2 with Red Bull KTM Ajo. It was a brilliant season that confirmed Oliveira’s abilities, as after his first Moto2 podium, a brilliant 2nd place at the Argentinian GP, the Portuguese was constantly fighting for the top positions, taking 5 more podiums before winning the last three races of the season in Australia, Malaysia, and Valencia to secure third place in the overall standings. Oliveira managed to improve even more in the following season, when he challenged Francesco Bagnaia for the Moto2 championship until the very end with 3 wins and another 8 podiums, finishing second overall. His solidity and speed earned the Portuguese a place in MotoGP with Red Bull KTM Tech 3 for 2019, and with regular points scoring Oliveira impressed in his first season in the premier class, with an 8th place in Austria as his best result. A huge crash at Phillip Island, after having previously suffered another injury at Silverstone, forced Oliveira to sit out the final three races and pre-season testing at the end of 2019.

Staying with the Red Bull KTM Tech 3 for 2020, at the Styrian GP in Zeltweg, Austria, KTM’s home race, Oliveira became the second KTM rider to take victory in the premier class thanks to a stunning last lap and a brave final-corner move. The second unforgettable masterpiece of the season saw Oliveira dominate the Portimao circuit as MotoGP returned to his native Portugal for the season finale, with Miguel finishing 9th overall in the championship.

In 2021 he was partnered with Brad Binder in the KTM factory team, but injuries meant that Oliveira had a rollercoaster season. He still managed three podiums, including a brilliant victory in Barcelona. A master of the rain, Oliveira took his fourth and fifth MotoGP victories in 2022 on the flooded tarmac of Indonesia and Thailand.

After six seasons in orange, Oliveira joined the RNF Aprilia squad for 2023. But a season-opening injury on home soil and another at Jerez, both times taken out by other riders, destroyed the Portuguese rider’s first half of the season. A P5 in the British GP at Silverstone was the highlight of the championship, as Oliveira’s season ended with another injury in Qatar. The 2024 season was not much better for Miguel, who defended the colours of Aprilia’s new satellite team, Trackhouse Racing, with his best result being a second place at the German GP Sprint, before another injury due to a mechanical failure kept him out of five of the last six races.

After two seasons with the Aprilia bike, Oliveira decided it was time to move on to a new project where he could use his experience and talent to help develop the bike, making him the ideal man to join Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP for the 2025 season.

Date of Birth: 04-01-1995 Place of Birth: Pragal, Almada, Portugal Nationality: Portuguese Instagram: @88migueloliveira Height: 170 cm Weight: 62 kg

Racing career

First Grand Prix: Qatar GP 2011 (125cc)
First Grand Prix Win: Italian GP 2015 (Moto3)
First Premier Class Grand Prix Win: Styrian GP 2020
Grand Prix Wins: 17 (5x MotoGP, 6x Moto2, 6x Moto3)
GP Podiums: 41 (7x MotoGP, 21x Moto2, 13x Moto3)
Pole position: 5 (1x MotoGP, 2x Moto2, 2x Moto3)

2024 MotoGP World Championship
15th – 75 points

2023 MotoGP World Championship
16th – 76 points

2022 MotoGP World Championship
10th – 149 points

2021 MotoGP World Championship
14th – 94 points

2020 MotoGP World Championship
9th – 125 points

2019 MotoGP World Championship
17th – 33 points

2018 Moto2 World Championship
2nd– 297 points

2017 Moto2 World Championship
3rd– 241 points

2016 Moto2 World Championship
21st – 36 points

2015 Moto3 World Championship
2nd – 254 points

2014 Moto3 World Championship
10th – 110 points

2013 Moto3 World Championship
6th – 150 points

2012 Moto3 World Championship
8th – 114 points

2011 125cc World Championship
14th – 44 points