Aprilia presents top form at MotoGP winter tests: Maverick Vinales wants to take Aprilia to the top, but still has some homework
The performance of the Aprilia RS-GP was one of the positive surprises of the MotoGP winter tests. Aleix Espargaro and teammate Maverick Vinales consistently held their own at the front of the field. Espargaro is already dreaming of his first MotoGP victory (which the Spaniard is planning this year). And Vinales should also be on the cards in 2022.
“I need a race weekend to assess it properly,” Vinales noted after the final day of testing in Indonesia. “We were in the top five, even though my feeling was not perfect. It went pretty well and I’m pretty optimistic that we could improve our bike.”
Vinales also dreams of race wins with Aprilia. “It would be a dream to have won with three different manufacturers,” notes the Spaniard, who has won races with Suzuki and Yamaha. “I would probably be the only rider in history to have achieved that. It is also one of my goals to take Aprilia to the top,” Vinales said.
“But we have to be realistic,” Vinales insists. “We need more tests until we can win races. We need to stay on the ground. There is a long way to go with a lot of work ahead of us. Especially in my case, it’s still a long way to go to get a good set-up. “
“The bike was set up for a completely different riding style. That’s why I still have problems in some areas, especially in terms of grip. In Sepang we were in the top 3 for race pace and here too, I think. It’s really positive because I was fast on two very different tracks,” Vinales analysed the Sepang and Mandalika tests.
After the overseas races in Qatar, Indonesia, Argentina and Texas, Aprilia is looking to test again to make further improvements. Vinales has some confidence with the Aprilia once he has found a suitable set-up: “My potential is still much higher than it is now. But it’s about understanding the bike properly so the team can set it up to suit my riding style.”
“I can’t wait for Qatar to start,” notes the Spaniard, who won the first race last year. “I like the circuit and I know how to be fast there. I think the bike will work well there,” Vinales is confident.
