Miguel Oliveira is set to ride a factory Aprilia in the upcoming 2024 season, as confirmed by Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola and Oliveira's father, Paulo Oliveira. As per the reports, he is expected to be provided with the identical Aprilia RS-GP that Maverick Vinales and Aleix Espargaro will utilise in 2024. A further piece of evidence supporting this choice is Trackhouse's recent MotoGP debut, where they will replace the RNF squad as Aprilia's affiliate. It has been made quite plain by team owner Justin Marks that he intends to supply his riders with the latest Aprilia motorcycles.
It seems like Oliveira will make his debut with this top-tier machinery in the very first round of the 2024 season, rather than the less experienced Raul Fernandez, as was previously expected. The story states that Fernandez will start the year on an RS-GP23 with an engine specification for 2024 and switch to an RS-GP24 later in the season. Aprilia boss Rivola is willing to lend his team's backing to Trackhouse after seeing the value in data exchange with Espargaro and Vinales. There is a catch, even though Oliveira's new beginning is fantastic. At the first 2024 MotoGP race in Qatar, he'll have to serve a long-lap penalty.
MotoGP: Miguel Oliveira's 2023 Season
After leaving KTM for the CryptoDATA RNF Aprilia squad in 2023, Miguel Oliveira had one of his more miserable seasons in MotoGP since he debuted in 2019. After the RS-GP's winning streak in 2022, expectations were sky-high for Oliveira, but he was disappointed. His good start to the Portugal GP's Sprint race was cut short in the main event due to a collision with Marc Márquez, which left him with a leg injury and unable to participate in the Argentina GP. After a promising fifth position in Austin, he repeated the performance in the Sprint race of the Spanish Grand Prix. However, he was unable to participate in the French Grand Prix due to a dislocated shoulder he sustained in an accident with Fabio Quartararo in Jerez.
In the second half of the season, Oliveira's competitiveness plummeted due to his qualifying challenges, team problems, and a bike that was stuck in the 2022 specification. By the end of the championship, Oliveira had finished in sixteenth place.
MotoGP: About Trackhouse Racing
In North American NASCAR, Trackhouse Racing, a venture co-owned by musician Pitbull and Justin Marks, has achieved six Cup Series victories, among other noteworthy achievements. The team was compelled to accelerate its ascent into the international motorcycle racing arena, despite having initially intended to compete in MotoGP in 2025 and having visited the paddock earlier this year to look into the possibility.
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Unforeseen challenges arising from CryptoDATA's actions rendered RNF's position untenable, prompting Trackhouse Racing to expedite its transition to MotoGP.
As a result of acquiring the staff and assets of the former RNF squad, Trackhouse Racing will effectively run the show. It is worth mentioning that Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez, who are presently contracted riders for Aprilia, have decided to maintain their affiliation with the team under the Trackhouse banner. This development will serve to strengthen Aprilia's standing in the MotoGP championship.
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