Oriol Oliver decided to make the switch to Yamaha machinery for the 2021 season after inking a deal to sign with the Ghidinelli Racing team but the start of the season didn’t go as Oliver expected. After the second round of the EMX250 series, Oliver decided to part ways with the team and now has a new challenge.
“My season started really bad. I like the Ghidinelli team as they have good people. They care, they help and it’s a good team but I needed a stronger bike in my opinion. In this championship all the bikes are really strong”.
For the rest of the season, Oliver will be with the WZ KTM team – a German based team who were actually interested in signing him coming into the season but the young Spaniard decided to sign with Ghidinelli Yamaha instead. The WZ KTM team remained keen on Oliver and have swopped in to sign his services for the rest of the EMX250 campaign.
“The deal with the WZ KTM team came about after I left the Ghidinelli team. My manager was searching for some teams, this team were also interested in me at the beginning of the year. It was an option of going with Ghidinelli or WZ but at that time I went with Ghidinelli. After what happened, the team were still interested in me and the deal is good as it’s to race the EMX250 series with strong bikes. Today (Wednesday) I tested the bike, it was a training bike but they say the race bike will be better. I had a good feeling and it’s a bike I know already because last year I did good races with the KTM. I am happy because I needed this”.
The EMX250 level is high this year but Oliver wants to try and break into the top five – he knows it will be tough at Lommel this weekend but he already has a good feeling on the KTM – a bike he knows well.
“In terms of my expectations, I have to say there is a really good level in the EMX250 series. I would say that top five would be really really good because the level is so high. This weekend in Lommel on the sand will be difficult. Today I did the first ride with the KTM and tomorrow I will go again. I will have two trainings on the sand, it’s not a lot but it is what it is and I think I can do good”.
For the rest of the season Oliver will live with the team in Germany and put in the hard work with the team and the rest of the riders.
“With the new team I will live in Germany and I like the team, for example when we have the race in Kegums we will go there and stay there and then in France we will go there, we will train there in hard pack tracks. We will have strong bikes and with people that want to work so I am very happy”.
The young Spaniard will be hoping to impress during the rest of the season so he can earn a ride for the 2022 season.
Interview: Andy McKinstry
