Miguel Oliveira says he did everything he could to extend his tenure in MotoGP, but it ultimately wasn’t enough to secure a contract for the 2026 season.
Oliveira contested his final race as a MotoGP rider at this month’s Valencia Grand Prix, bringing an end to a six-year spell in the premier class that began with Tech3 KTM in 2019.
The Portuguese had signed a 1+1 contract with Pramac for the 2025-26 campaigns, but Yamaha’s satellite squad invoked a performance clause in his contract to release him after just one season.
His future had been uncertain ever since Pramac announced in June that World Superbike star Toprak Razgatlioglu will join the team next year. It meant that either Oliveira or his team-mate Jack Miller was always going to be dropped to make way for the Turkish rider in 2026.
Ultimately, it was Oliveira who got the axe, a decision that initially caught him by surprise, as his form had been severely impacted by a shoulder injury that he sustained at the second round of the season in Argentina.
Asked how tough it was for him to manage his injury and fight for his future in MotoGP at the same time, he said: “It was a very humbling experience in every term of it because nothing is for granted.
“I came in with the prospects of a long-term partnership knowing that I would need some time, and also the bike needs some time.
“[The recovery] caught me off guard because it took longer than we anticipated. It was not a quick fix injury that you can return a couple of weeks later.
“That delayed my getting to know the bike, fitting in and taking it to the limit [phase], and the decisions forced me to to be without the seat.
“But I don't think I should look at it with resentment or any kind of regret, because I know that I gave my best and that's the feeling I need to end [with].
“At the end of the day, I did the best possible to stay and the best was not enough.”
While the last three seasons, including the previous two at RNF/Trackhouse, have been frustrating for Oliveira, he will bow out of MotoGP with five victories, seven podiums and one pole position - all achieved with KTM.
Prior to joining MotoGP, he also enjoyed considerable success in the lower ranks, finishing runner-up in both Moto2 and Moto3.
The 30-year-old says he can look back on his grand prix career with satisfaction as he prepares for the next phase of his career with BMW in WSBK.
“Not many riders have the privilege to say that they've won in different categories, and I've been privileged to have done that,” he said.
“I've been in good teams, teams that helped me take my best potential, especially in Moto3, Moto2. I am in debt to KTM because they helped me so much throughout my career.
“So many teams and people that I've encountered throughout these years helped me bring out the best of me in terms of riding and helping me technically to to develop myself. Whatever I achieve in the future will also be a result of all those past experiences.”
Oliveira is already in talks to join Aprilia as a test rider in 2026, with a deal dependant on whether he can secure approval from his primary employer, BMW.
He is also open to the prospect of returning to the MotoGP grid again, saying: “I definitely don't close the door on returning here as a full rider on the grid, but for the moment opportunity is not there for me here, so what I need to do is to focus on what I actually can do for next season.
“The future remains open.”
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