Eleven years after the arrival of Marc Marquez, HRC finds itself facing a new phase in its history, having to start a new project almost from scratch to challenge the current dominators of MotoGP, the European brands Ducati, KTM and Aprilia.
After announcing last week that it had decided “by mutual agreement” to end a relationship that would have expired in 2024, the Asian giant is preparing to embark on a revolution starting from a completely blank sheet of paper.
In addition to having a rider of the caliber of Joan Mir, world champion in 2020 with Suzuki, who has an extra year on his contract with the Tokyo manufacturer, Honda has on its agenda the delicate task of finding a replacement for Marquez, so far flagship of the golden wing brand and its most successful driver, with six titles out of seven won between 2013 and 2019.
According to what Motorsport.com has learned, HRC’s main target is Miguel Oliveira, who currently races for Aprilia’s satellite team, RNF Racing.
The Portuguese driver still has one year left on his contract with the Noale company, which pays his salary, but there is a clause in the agreement that would free him if a manufacturer made him an offer for a place in their official garage. This is how Alex Rins left LCR to move to Yamaha next season.
At 28, Oliveira is considered the most interesting option for a number of reasons. In addition to his experience – he has been in MotoGP for five years – the rider boasts five victories in the premier class, and only five members of the current grid have won more races than him.
Considering that Honda’s economic offer will be higher than the salary he currently receives, the only doubt the boy from Pragal may have will concern the technical aspect. Especially if we take into account the parade that has recently passed through the official team of the Japanese brand.
Names like Dani Pedrosa, Jorge Lorenzo or Pol Espargaro, as well as Marquez, who preferred to seek a life outside rather than continue racing with such a critical bike. In addition to the sporting question, there is the commercial one, and in this sense Oliveira would also fit the profile of Repsol, Honda’s main sponsor, which has interests in Portugal, where the number 88 is a real celebrity.
Oliveira landed in the 125cc World Championship in 2011. From 2012 to 2015 he competed in Moto3 and then in Moto2 from 2016 to 2018. In 2019 he made the leap to MotoGP, with Tech3, despite KTM’s promise to race for the official team, which he finally joined in 2021. The Portuguese is still the driver who has achieved the most successes for the Austrian manufacturer.
An injury in the first race of this 2023, precisely in Portimão and after being hit by Marquez, and another accident in Jerez, this time with Quartararo, have affected the season of the RNF Racing rider, who has missed two stages of the calendar so far (Argentina and France), and who is 13th in the World Cup rankings.
Miguel Oliveira, RNF MotoGP Racing, joins his father Paulo who, once again, acts as agent
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
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