But the subsequent drop in rear tyre grip proved bigger𓆉 than Oliveira was expecting, the Portuguese slipping seven-seconds behind the South African and narrowly losing eighth place to Takaaki Nakagami.

Nonetheless, ninth was Olivei🍸ra’s best result since fifth in his hom🌄e Portimao round.

“It was a competitive race and I could have some fun and overtake a few guys,” Oliveira said. “What was not nice for me was that from the middle𒈔 of the race onwards I started to strugg🔥le with the rear tyre.

“I started to lose more grip﷽, more grip and just couldn’t keep the pace into the 47s.

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“I just lost so much edge grip that I could not make the bike turn, then I used a loﷺt of front tyre.

“But overall ✅a better weekend and more competitive. It seems that the aero package has helped us a little bit.

“Basically the aero package that we 🌟had [with sidepods], forced us to go in a different direction with 𓄧the setting, which we were not used to.

“It had some advant🍷ages and some disadvantages but especially the turning was affected. Without the pods it put us into a more normal setting, so we could turn faster. But it is still a big weakness for us, the turning.

“But this race wa🐟s also good for us last year, so we will keep both [aero] options open… We don’t want to be over the moon🍷 and too happy, but we think this might have helped us come back to a more normal situation.”

Binder’s renowned race consistency was underlined by finishing seventh despite o🗹nly setting the 13th fastest race lap (+0.637s).

Oliveira set the fifth fastest lap of the race, (+0.380s), almost identically matching the 1m 46.9🌄s he set on his way to second at Mugello 💞last season.

But had Oliveira been able to repeat his 41m 18.936s race time of last year, he would have finished a few hundredths behind Fra꧋ncesco Bagnaia’s race-winning Ducati on Sunday.

Oliveira: I want to keep factory seat

Earlier in the Mugello weekend, news broke that while KTM expects to make🔴 Oliveira a new offer 🐻for 2023, it might involve a move back to the satellite Tech3 team.

Oli🃏veira took his first MotoGP wins for Tech3 before joining Red Bull KTM in 2020, where he has added two more victories and four podiums. But, like last year, he is currently outside the top ten in the world championship.

Facing competit🔯ion for his place as Binder’s team-mate ▨from the likes of Jack Miller, Alex Rins and Pol Espargaro, the #88 confirmed he and his management are also exploring possible options outside of KTM.

“Yeah, I am. I told the management that I do not accept the Tech3 spot and that I want my facto🥂ry seat,” Oliveira said. “Should this not be possible, for sure I will take ot⛎her options into consideration.

“But at the moment there is nothing really relevant to aജdd about that💃.”

Oli♕veira, who then confirmed he ‘definitely’ wouldn’t be at Tech3, is cur🥃rently eleventh in the world championship, 15 points behind Binder in seventh.