Oliveira snatches first ever Tech 3 victory with thrilling final corner Styrian GP pass

Miguel Oliveira scored a stunning first ever win for him and his Tech 3 MotoGP team with a last corner Styrian Grand Prix pass on Pol Espargaro and Jack Miller.

Oliveira-as well as Espargaro-got themselves into the battle for victory following a brief red flag period following a terrifying crash for Maverick Vinales after trailing the leading group in the early stages.

The factory Yamaha racer looked to have lost his brakes heading into the high-speed Turn 1, forcing him to bail at around 120mph on the approach to the bend.

Vinales fortunately was able to walk away after sliding down the track, though his M1 wasn’t so lucky.

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The Yamaha slammed into the air fences that lined the perimeter of the circuit, immediately catching fire and causing a red flag period in order the replace the now punctured air fences.

Prior to the red flag Joan Mir’s Suzuki looked to have the race sewn up, but the Spaniard struggled with front tyre wear across the final 12 lap sprint and slipped back to leave the battling KTM’s and Ducati to duke it out.

Espargaro had initially moved into the lead of the race half-way through the final part of the contest, but struggled to build much of an advantage over the now-chasing Miller.

The Spaniard held firm heading onto the final lap, but over-defended into Turn 3 for the final time-giving Miller a perfect run heading down towards Turn 4 and the ideal opportunity to snatch the lead back away with just a few corners remaining.

Espargaro was not yet done though and dove back through at Turn 9, before Miller managed to turn back under the KTM and attempt to repass him into the final turn.

The ensuing battle slowed down the pair though, allowing Oliveira to fly past on the inside on the run to the line to take a shock debut premier class win for him and his ecstatic Tech 3 squad-the first ever for a Portuguese rider in MotoGP.

Miller ultimately managed to get the best of Espargaro to take second, with the disappointed factory KTM man forced to make do with his second career podium in third.

Mir meanwhile was able to get back past Andrea Dovizioso in the dying moments to salvage fourth after looking the dominant man prior to the red flag, the factory Ducati ace completing a top five covered by just 1.4 seconds.

Alex Rins on the second GSX-RR got the best of Takaaki Nakagami on the final lap to take sixth, the LCR Honda rider a low-key seventh after looking set for a strong maiden podium in second before the red flag made an appearance.

Brad Binder was eighth on the second factory KTM after running wide at Turn 1 towards the end of the encounter while battling Dovizioso for fifth at the time, while Valentino Rossi and Iker Lecuona completed the top ten.

Petronas SRT compounded an extremely tough day for Yamaha after struggling for performance throughout, championship leader Fabio Quartararo claiming only 13^th while team-mate Franco Morbidelli trailed the injured Johann Zarco-whose pit-lane start penalty was effectively eradicated by the red flag period- in 15^th.

Alex Marquez narrowly missed out on scoring a point on the first of the official Honda machines in 16^th, heading LCR man Cal Crutchlow and the ’19 Moto2 world champions Honda team-mate Stefan Bradl in 17^th and 18^th respectively.