After the double victories in Austin, Maverick Vinales certainly expected to be in front also in Jerez. Instead, the weekend turned out to be more complicated than expected. Aprilia also struggled with Aleix Espargaro. The retirement in the Sprint was influenced by a wet spot on the track, while in the long race the 29-year-old from Figueres only placed ninth. Monday’s test, again in Andalusia, is very important to understand and improve. We worked on multiple aspects, for example the start. Furthermore, it was an opportunity to try a new tail section which should help braking and corner entry.
MotoGP, Jerez test: Vinales’ assessment
At the end of the test, Vinales took stock of the situation and said he was satisfied: “Above all, we wanted to have two identical bikes – he explained to Motosan.es – because it is from Qatar that they work a little differently. It was important to have bike A and bike B that worked the same way, because if you fall and have to take the other one, it’s difficult to be competitive if it’s not the same. We understood that the B had some parts that were not at their peak performance“.
The Spanish rider explained that the fact of not having two identical Aprilias affected him during the weekend in Jerez: “It’s a shame, because I raced with the B. I blamed the front brake, because it didn’t stop me when cornering, but there was a component of the bike that was 100%. You have to be careful about these things, because they can change the championship. The kids know it, you always have to be 100%. We weren’t in Jerez. On Friday yes, because we used bike A, which is the same one used in Portimao and Austin. When I moved to B that level was eclipsed. Just having understood this, I would consider the test super positive“.
Aprilia must not make mistakes
Maverick wishes the team had been able to identify the problems earlier, he hopes there will be greater responsiveness in the future: “We have to be careful. I always say that if we can get 100% out of the bike, we’re there. This is the level. I had the pace of the best, so the bike is at a high level. If we don’t use it 100%… We have to be careful and check that everything is perfect down to the last screw“.
Understanding what didn’t work was important and gives Vinales confidence for the next grands prix, he feels he has a very competitive RS-GP: “The test is positive, we have lifted a weight off our shoulders. Now I have two identical bikes and I can make different strategies, before I couldn’t because I didn’t know if B would work. We have a good base for the rest of the championship. In the test I tried to brake better and help the bike take the next step. I have a fantastic bike and I don’t want to touch it, but if I can help it a little…“.
Photo: Aprilia
