On the eve of last season’s second race at Spielberg, the Japanese brand surprised everyone with a statement informing that Maverick Vinales would not take part in that weekend, after deliberately attempting to damage the bike in the last laps of the previous race. always at the Red Bull Ring.
This was just the latest episode of an explosive relationship, with many ups and downs, which by no means ended as both sides predicted in 2016, when they signed their alliance.
At Assen, two races earlier, the Spaniard and Yamaha had agreed to terminate the contract that bound them also in 2022. But the episode that took place in the last laps of the Styrian Grand Prix caused a furious reaction from the Japanese manufacturer, which she refused to let the Spaniard ride again on one of her bikes and terminated the deal.
This brought the youngster from Roses to bottom, in what was the most delicate moment of his career in the premier class; an episode similar to the one experienced when he raced in Moto3 (2012), but amplified by the fact that this time he was in MotoGP.
A few days after the explosive Spielberg Grand Prix, Aprilia announced the signing of the Spaniard until the end of the season, giving life to a relationship that will last at least until 2024. In one year, Vinales has gone from the darkest place to live one of his best moments, a state of mind that is also projected on the track. In this process of rebirth, the Noale brand and the structure that was formed around # 12 allowed it to return to its best.
The same one that led him to fight for victory in the last round of the calendar, at Silverstone, where in the end he finished second, his best result with the Italian manufacturer’s suit.
Since his Aprilia debut in last season’s Aragon Grand Prix, Vinales has continued to grow and progress, even though his adaptation to a V-engine motorcycle concept – the Yamaha has an inline four – hasn’t been easy.
As the races progressed, he moved up to the grid on Saturday and climbed the rankings on Sunday, a progression that accelerated further in 2022, already in the new season.
The test after the Catalan Grand Prix was crucial because it was there that the team introduced the new aerodynamics on the RS-GP, which gave the driver the ultimate boost. In Germany, he was in the leading group when the rear lowering broke, forcing him to retire.
In Holland, the last appointment before the break, he started from eleventh position on the grid and took his first podium with Aprilia, while in Great Britain, last weekend, he was in the front row for the first time. – second – and got on the podium again.
As if his performance wasn’t commendable enough in itself, his willingness to row for Aleix Espargaro, so that his teammate can be crowned champion at the end of the season, earned him the acclaim of his box and neighbor. the whole company.
“Maverick is doing very well. It is true that he had already done spectacular things at Silverstone, both with Suzuki and with Yamaha – he won with both. But he is taking a step forward in terms of quality and, moreover, he is doing so in terms of quality. stable way “, complimented Espargaro, one of the protagonists of the Vinales recruitment, with whom he had already shared the garage at the time of Suzuki.
In any case, the # 41’s influence would have been short-lived if it hadn’t found a partner on the other side like Massimo Rivola, CEO of Aprilia’s racing department and a lover of his pupil’s natural talent.
“Being able to have Maverick was a dream for us. We must not forget that it came at a time when many young people rejected our proposals. It is clear that what we were able to show him at that moment, and the advice of Aleix, have played a decisive role in his choice, “Rivola told Motorsport.com.
“His progression has been evident all this time, but he always assured us that as soon as he felt comfortable on the bike, he would go fast. And this has been demonstrated in the last few days,” added the manager, who will fulfill the wishes of # 12 for 2023, having hired Manuel Cazeaux as the new technical manager on his side of the garage. Giovanni Matarollo, who until now held this role, will pass to the RNF, the satellite formation of the Noale company.
“Maverick came after a period of obscurity and at that moment he needed a group of people around him who would listen to him and work to give him what he needed. It was essential that he felt comfortable, because he came from a background. hostile, “a member of his entourage, one of the people who spent the most hours with him, told the writer.
According to this testimony, the rider still has a lot of room for improvement. “From my point of view, he has reached the level that is expected of a rider of his quality. Now, with the calm around him, this will help him to give a little more,” said this voice. authoritative.
“The change for him was huge, bigger than people realize. When he left Suzuki and signed for Yamaha, he found a similar bike, but slightly better. This time the difference between the Yamaha and the ‘Aprilia is abysmal “, admitted the engineer.
The stability that Viñales has found in the races is complemented by the one he found at home with Raquel, his partner, and especially after the arrival of Nina, their daughter. Despite his young age (27), the boy had already admitted some time ago his desire to become a father.
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