Italian MotoGP: Oliveira scores first podium of 2021 with ‘fantastic weekend’

Miguel Oliveira secured second place at the Mugello MotoGP despite a post-race penalty for exceeding track ꦉlimits.
Oliveira was originally demoted from second to third, however, Joan Mir also incurred the same track limits꧟ penalty which meant both positions were returned to each rider.
The section of green run-off in quest𝔉ion was the exit of turn five which coincidentally was the same ꦕpart of track that cost Joe Roberts a Moto2 rostrum.
Whether it was Roberts, Oliveira or Mir, all three incidents were very marginal. Oliveira spoke about the penalty and subsequent c❀hallenges with turn five♈ on a MotoGP bike.
"Th✃e penalty is in the rules. I don’t think I gained any advantage touching the green there. I think even in Misano last year we asked to extend the painting out of the last corner just to avoid t🌊his kind of situation," added Oliveira.
"To maneuver the bike at hi🥃gh speeds at the exit of that corner (Turn 5), it’s quite hard⛦ and so it’s already a fight just to stay in the track.
"So to touch the green at that high speed when you are already looking into the next corner is quite hard. Fortu𓃲nately Joan [Mir] went out also."
The second place result is Oliveira and the team’s first podium of 2021, but also their first top ten this season - previous best of 11th at Jerez, following a tough opening five𓂃 rounds.
During the post race p🌸ress conference, Oliveira summed up his race by saying: “It was a fantastic weekend for us. I think we were quite discreet, but str𝕴ong in every session.
Oliveira said: "Everything went accordingly to the best plan I could have imagined. The beginning of the race I couldn’t stay with the top group b⛄🍌ecause I had the hard front tyre.
"I was a bit more careful. I needed to give it a good warm up before I began to push and then everything worked really well.&nbs🌺p;
"I managed to overtake Johann [Zarco] and then keep the other Joan [Mir] behind. I really enjoyed ridi🧔ng today given the circum♔stances we all know. It’s a good result to carry this momentum into Barcelona."