Uphill Start
The start of the season went against the good expectations of BMW, which after saying goodbye to the world champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (this year in MotoGP) restarted with a new line-up made up of Danilo Petrucci and Miguel Oliveira. While the former Barni team rider, winner of the last Independent Trophy, has not yet reached the podium, Oliveira achieved this milestone precisely on the occasion of his home Round in Portugal, finishing 3rd three times. For the German manufacturer, however, the last weekend at Balaton Park turned out to be a real disaster, specifically during the Superpole Race.
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Petrucci, a ‘Monster’
Both riders, in fact, were involved in two accidents, due to which they could not take part in Race 2. Petrucci suffered a serious contusion to the left hip after contact with Sofuoglu, but despite the pain he managed to finish the race in 16th place. After the visit to the Medical Center of the Hungarian circuit, the Umbrian rider was declared unfit for the last test of the weekend, thus remaining in the pits: “Bahattin hit him on the left side – explained to Speedweek Sven Blusch, BMW Motorsport Director – the contusion to the hip was too severe. For this reason, he was not allowed to continue. He raced despite the severe pain. Looking back, it’s incredible that he managed to finish the race. He was in a lot of pain. It was adrenaline that pushed him forward. Danilo is a monster in these situations. After the race, however, he went to the medical center for a precautionary check. There it was decided that he would have to end the weekend early. However, he should be fine for Most. We think he will be able to race there again“.
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The scare for Oliveira
The most worrying incident that occurred at Balaton Park, again in the Superpole Race, happened to Oliveira. Involved after contact between Sam Lowes and Andrea Locatelli, the Portuguese rider suffered a concussion and a shoulder injury, with the race immediately suspended and reduced by two laps. The former MotoGP rider was subsequently taken to hospital for checks, but his presence for the next Round in the Czech Republic (scheduled from May 15 to 17) remains temporarily in doubt. Blusch, in fact, suggested the return of Michael van der Mark, until last year Razgatlioglu’s teammate and this year the team’s third rider and tester: “It’s still too early to talk about it. But yes, Mickey is our tester and also our reserve rider. We have communicated this. So he could be an option. However, we have to wait and see how Miguel’s situation evolves. We will definitely do our best to have him back with us at Most”.
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