KTM’s rain king Oliveira wins Thai MotoGP as title intrigue mounts

KTM rider Miguel Oliveira held his nerve in rainy conditions to win the Thai Grand Prix in Buriram on Sunday as Francesco Bagnaia made up significant ground on world championship leader Fabio Quartararo who finished 17th.

Oliveira crossed the line 0.730 seconds ahead of Ducati duo Jack Miller and Bagnaia at the Chang International Circuit, in a race significantly delayed by rain.

“It was a long race, but I can't complain. When it started, I had a flashback of Indonesia,” said Oliveira, who also showcased his wet-weather skills this season in his victory at the Indonesia MotoGP.

Bagnaia was made to work for his third-placed finish by Pramac Ducati's Johann Zarco, but held on to reduce Frenchman Quartararo's lead in the standings from 18 points to two.

“I'm very happy, it's like a win for me,” Bagnaia said. “I want to thank Jack [Miller], he gave me a motivational chat before the race.”

Quartararo had a disastrous start to the race, dropping down from fourth on the grid to 17th place on the first lap before ending up outside the points.

SA's Brad Binder fought back to finish 10th after being bumped by Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro early in the race.

Reuters