Miguel Oliveira signs off for Mahindra with eighth at Valencia

Mahindra rider Miguel Oliveira closed off his and Mahindra Racing’s 2014 season with a last lap stalk-and-pounce move that secured eighth place in today’s season-ending Valencia GP, his own top-ten finish in the championship, and the only Indian marque in international racing’s third place in the Constructors’ championship.

The Portuguese teenager arrived tied on points with customer Mahindra racer Brad Binder, and needed to finish ahead of the Ambrogio Racing rider to secure his championship place, tenth overall.

He did so with a superb tactical ride, after finishing the first lap 19th. Over the 24 laps of the tight and technical Ricardo Tormo circuit, he picked his way through the heavy traffic with trade-mark precision, to position himself for a successful last-lap attack when another fell in the group. Binder finished ninth, inches behind the official Mahindra Team rider.

The race also closes the Mahindra Racing team’s account in the highly competitive Moto3™ class, after two years campaigning the exclusive MGP3O racer. The machine was designed and built in record time, and over just two seasons has gone from raw rookie to a popular choice for riders, with eight Mahindras on the grid in 2014. Third place in the Constructors’ championship proves the progress from drawing board to podium.

Today’s thrilling race was won by Jack Miller (KTM), but with title rival Alex Marquez (Honda) third, the championship went to the latter by just two points.

Miguel Oliveira – eighth place (10th position in the 2014 World Championship)
The race was tough: I didn’t expect such a big group on such a short, tight track. My rhythm was good and I could stay with the pace of the front group, but I started too far behind, and it is very hard to overtake. My goal was to be first Mahindra, and I saw Brad was not so far away. I decided to use the factor of surprise, and on the last lap I passed him. I was lucky not to crash, but he didn’t expect me, and he didn’t defend his position. I want to thank Mahindra for giving me the opportunity to ride this bike for the past two years. I believed in the project from when it was just a piece of paper. It’s been a tough fight because Moto3 is so competitive, and for such a young constructor every good result is like a victory. I wish Mahindra the best of luck for the next stage.

Source: Mahindra Racing