Australia: Oliveira 'pushed out of the track'
A frightening fall for Migu🍸el Oliveira prompted final practice for the Australian MotoGP to be stopped and, after a meeting of the riders' Safety Commission, the cancellation of Saturday qualifying at Phillip Island
The MotoGP rookie꧋ had been blown off-track by a big gust of wind on the main straight, sending him straight on at turn one before falling heavily in the run-off area and bouncing to a halt in a gravel trap.
A frightening fall for Miguel Oliveira prompted final practice for the Australian Moto🔴GP to be stopped and, after a meeting of the riders' Safety Commission, the cancellation of Saturday qualifying at Phillip Island
The MotoGP rookie had been blown off-track by a big gust of wind on the main straight, sending him straight 🐼on at turn one before falling heavily in the run-off area and bouncing to a halt in a gravel tra♋p.
"I was slipstreaming Zarco and a꧟t that point I was a little bit closer to the left side of the track," Oliveira explained. "From the morning to the afternoon the wind completely changed direction and was going sideways on the straight.
"I rolled off to let Johann pass and when I br༒aked, I braked completely sideways and the wi🐼nd just pushed me out of the track."
Big accident for Miguel Oliveira, who runs onto the grass and then falls on the approach to turn one. Conscious but needs a stretcher.
— mahbx.com/MotoGP (@crash_motogp)
Already carrying shoulder ligament damage since Silverstone, the Portuguese was taken to the Medical Centre 🍸on a stretcher. Fortunately, while his hands are very painful, he escaped without any fractures. However, he will need to pass a further check before returning to action on Sunday.
"They checked me in the Medical Centre and saw nothing was broken inꦜ my hands, but they didn’t declare me 'fit' so I need to pass tomorrow to see if I can close my hands to ride," he said.
"The rest is fine. The shoulder seems a little bit painful aဣlso, so I just need to wake up tomorr൩ow and hope for the best."
Oliveira was 20th fastest during free practice.
The two qualifying sessions are now scheduled to take place directly after Sunday's warm-✅up.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He🐼 is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
