Mahindra's Oliveira narrowly misses podium in Italian GP

Showing all his skills and growing strength, Mahindra Racing's Miguel Oliveira claimed a resounding fourth place in the Moto3 Italian GP at the Mugello circuit here today.
Fourth equals the Portuguese teenager's best finish of his second season with the only Indian team in world championship motorcycle racing, but was a landmark of race-craft and skill.
He had started from 19th on the grid, and picked his way through a huge brawling group to finish a 10th of a second off the top-three podium, and 0.121 seconds behind winner Romano Fenati.
At the finish there were still 10 riders within six seconds, and the first seven of them within just over half a second. Two more of them were Mahindra MGP3O machines, with CIP rider Alessandro Tonucci seventh, and Ambrogio rider Brad Binder ninth. A fourth Mahindra also took points in the hands of San Carlo Team Italia's Matteo Ferrari.

Second Mahindra Racing rider Arthur Sissis was 17th, narrowly missing out on his first points of the season. Sissis had qualified 24th, and was delayed by slower riders as he moved through towards the top 15.
The next race is the Catalunyan GP in Barcelona, in two weeks.