Maverick Vinales explains his decision to use the medium rear tire – aerodynamics push the body to its limits, as Aleix Espargaro emphasizes
Aprilia had no chance of top positions on their own at their home race in Mugello. In the sprint, Maverick Vinales was fifth in the chasing group behind the podium. Aleix Espargaro took the last sprint point in ninth place
In the Grand Prix, Vinales was stuck in a group with Ducati riders Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Di Giannantonio and finished eighth. Aleix Espargaro rode in eleventh place. Raul Fernandez followed directly behind. His Trackhouse teammate Miguel Oliveira collected two points in 14th place.
The tire choice was interesting. Vinales, who had qualified second, was the only rider in the field to take the medium rear tire. “We had confidence in the medium tire and it worked well,” he explained his decision.
“With the soft tire, it would have been very difficult for us because we would heat up the rear tire a lot and the bike would become unstable. I am sure that we made the right choice. I had very good potential towards the middle of the race.”
“But when I got stuck behind Morbidelli, he was faster on the straights. I had no chance for an overtaking maneuver.” For Monday’s test, Vinales has decided to work with the soft rear tire and ideally ride a race distance.
In the race itself, Vinales had a good rhythm, but overtaking maneuvers were almost impossible. “Everyone is going so fast,” he says, facing reality. “The pace was incredible. I’m 35 seconds faster than last year and I’m only in eighth place.”
“You can imagine how frustrating that is. We were at a disadvantage on this track at the exit of the finishing bend with the engine power. But we have to remain optimistic for the future. Our bike was very good, especially in the second section.”
“I learned that our bike is very good in fast corners. We will be strong in Assen, but also at other tracks. But our competitors have improved in this area. Everyone is getting closer to our cornering speed. “
Aleix Espargaro: “We are not at the same level “
And what is Espargaro’s conclusion? “Our race was ten seconds faster than last year. But that doesn’t mean anything, because I was 20 seconds behind. I don’t understand what happened in the previous races.”
“We are not at the level and need to understand this and work better,” said the veteran rider plainly. “I did my best, but I didn’t expect to be so far back.”
“Mugello is not my best track, but I was at Maverick’s level all weekend. I was faster than the other Aprilia riders, but we were quite slow. Our gap was too big. “
Thanks to the good aerodynamics, Aprilia is still the measure of all things in flowing passages. But that also comes at a price. “One more lap and I would have had to retire,” admitted Espargaro after the race.
“The bike was super nervous and aggressive. I couldn’t accelerate and brake. I only braked with one finger on the last few laps. We didn’t have the best set-up for Mugello, but the downforce we now have in MotoGP is too much for the human body.”
With 100 points after seven race weekends, Vinales is in sixth place in the World Championship. Espargaro follows in eighth. Among the constructors, the duel for second place continues to rage. KTM overtook Aprilia again at Mugello, but the gap is only two points
