New KTM chassis "not a game changer" – Oliveira
Miguel Oliveira says the new KTM chassis he won on at Barcelona is not the "game changer" it appears after topping Friday practice for the MotoGP German Grand Prix.

The Portuguese rider didn't score a top 10 finish until the Italian GP last month when KTM introduced its new frame, which was designed to help get the bike out of corners better and work with Michelin's softer 2021 front tyres.
He was second in the Mugello race and went onto win the following Catalan GP.
Carrying that form into the Sachsenring on Friday Oliveira disputes suggestions the new chassis has been revolutionary, citing the fact that both he and teammate Brad Binder have shown speed at other races in 2021 but failed to see the chequered flag for various reasons.
"KTM did a good job bringing a good improvement on the frame," Oliveira explained. "I don't know how much it's giving us, I don't believe it's giving everything.
"But small details count quite a lot in this category nowadays and the rider who understands better how to get the maximum from each detail will be the one who can be faster in the end.
"I think I managed to do it at the moment a little bit better than the rest but I don't think it's giving us a lot of advantage.
"I said yesterday it's misleading that conclusion [that the chassis has transformed KTM's fortunes] because of course you maybe don't analyse every session that we do but we do it, and we have very, very good pace, sometimes a lot of potential to be fast in many tracks.
"And in every GP we showed that we were strong in a practice or another, but we couldn't finish the race for one reason or another.
"So that gives the illusion that we only came up in Mugello.
"But it's not quite like that, we've been there a little bit working in the shadow, and so maybe that gives the feeling that whatever we brought to Mugello was a game changer.
"But it's not. It was a help, but it's not everything."
Read Also:
Binder was over seven tenths off Oliveira n 15th after Friday's running, but admits learning the Sachsenring on a MotoGP bike for the first proved harder than he expected.
"Today has been a lot more challenging than I expected," Binder said.
"To try and figure out how to ride the MotoGP bike around here at the Sachsenring has been a lot harder than I anticipated.
"It's quite different because you arrive with a lot more speed at certain places and the way you need to use the throttle to keep the speed going with not too much spin is quite different.
"So, in general it's been a bit of a learning process today, but in the end I was starting to feel better.
"I've still got a lot to improve still but at least I've got a better idea of what to do on track."
Related video

Mir feels like 'movie villain' over Quartararo suit comments
MotoGP German Grand Prix qualifying - Start time, how to watch

Latest news
Third-generation McRae to tackle Junior European Rally Championship
Max McRae will make the next step in his fledgling rallying career by taking on the Junior class in the European Rally Championship this season.
Kvyat and Bortolotti join Prema's expanded WEC line-up for 2023
Ex-Formula 1 driver Daniil Kvyat and factory Lamborghini racer Mirko Bortolotti have been named as part of Prema’s two-car line-up for the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship season.
How Driver’s Eye camera became a Formula 1 TV gamechanger
Formula 1 broadcasting has undergone many major advancements in the past decade in a push to better inform fans and enrich their viewing experience.
Hazelwood reflects on maiden Gen3 test
Todd Hazelwood has walked away from a highly-scrutinised first team Gen3 test excited by the latest generation of Supercars hardware.
The other Suzuki signing that could transform Honda's MotoGP form
Following Suzuki's decision to quit MotoGP, both of its former riders have landed at Honda for 2023. But perhaps its biggest signing from the now-defunct team could instead be a highly-rated technical manager. Is Ken Kawauchi the right man at the right time to steer HRC back to glory?
How the MotoGP paddock has offered refuge to Suzuki's former team
Suzuki's unexpected departure left more than 40 professionals virtually jobless for the 2023 MotoGP season. But that human drama has been successfully corrected by the paddock itself, with most former Suzuki crew members absorbed into other operations.
How one MotoGP team went from title challengers to losing it all in four years
The Petronas Sepang Racing Team came into MotoGP with a bang in 2019 as regular front-runners, with wonder rookie Fabio Quartararo mounting a title challenge in 2020. But it all went wrong for the Razlan Razali-helmed squad as the team changed hands and tumbled down the order - and RNF Racing plans to right this in 2023
Is Marc Marquez ready to reclaim his MotoGP throne?
Marc Marquez’s sixth premier MotoGP title seems a long time ago given the injury woes he has faced in the three years since. At the end of a fraught 2022, in which he had a fourth major operation on his right arm, the Spaniard speaks exclusively to Motorsport.com.
How MotoGP's underachiever is working to reverse its fortunes in 2023
As European manufacturers emerged as the strongest force in 2022 in a changing of the guard for MotoGP, one powerhouse couldn’t quite match the feats of Ducati and Aprilia. Its motorsport chief tells Motorsport.com why this is and what it is doing to become a consistent frontrunner in the class of kings
How MotoGP riders are preparing for the physical stress of sprint races
With the expansion of the calendar to 21 grands prix and the introduction of sprint races, the 2023 MotoGP season will take the riders to almost 1,300 kilometres of more competition than this year, a factor that forces adjustments in their physical preparations.
Luca Marini: Why he's more than just Valentino Rossi's brother
Surname pressure is something many have had to deal with in their motorsport careers. And while Luca Marini doesn’t have that, his familial relation and the team he rides for in MotoGP have cast a brighter spotlight on his progress. But, as he has shown in 2022 – and as he reveals to Motorsport.com – Marini is so much more than just the brother of a legend.
Ranking the top 10 MotoGP riders of 2022
The 2022 MotoGP season was another hotly contested championship, with Francesco Bagnaia emerging as the title winner after the campaign went to the wire. Motorsport.com picks out the 10 best performers of the season
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.