Oliveira ruled out of Phillip Island MotoGP race
Tech 3 MotoGP rider Miguel Oliveira will miss the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island, having been declared unfit to ride following his Saturday crash.
During the fourth practice session, a gust of wind pushed Oliveira over the outside kerb and onto the grass at the end of the main straight, which then led to him having a hard impact against the ground in the run-off area.
The Portuguese rookie continued to tumble through the gravel in the aftermath, while his bike was left in pieces.
Despite the crash happening at high speed, Oliveira escaped any fractures in the incident, but his participation in the race was nonetheless in doubt as he admitted it hinged on "whether I can close my hands to ride".
MotoGP has now confirmed that Oliveira was not passed fit on Sunday morning "due to pain and swelling to both hands".
Phillip Island will thus mark the first race Oliveira has missed in what has been an impressive rookie season.
The Tech 3 rider has been previously nursing a shoulder injury after a Silverstone clash with Johann Zarco, but it did not force him to skip any of the grands prix and he reached the finish line in all four of the races since.
Following Oliveira's crash, MotoGP had postponed the remainder of Saturday's programme due to the threat posed by the high winds, and now intends to run both qualifying and the race on Sunday.
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About this article
| Series | MotoGP |
| Event | Malaysian GP |
| Sub-event | Race |
| Drivers | Miguel Oliveira |
| Teams | Tech 3 |
| Author | Valentin Khorounzhiy |
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