His conclusions after the first tests of the year were quite worrying, with Maverick Vinales having the feeling that he was not the one riding the new bike, but she was taking him for a ride. Unable to make it do what he wanted, he spent the three days of testing in Malaysia looking for the balance of the RS-GP24 that he had liked so much in the previous model, but without success.
His comments were so diametrically opposed to those of his teammate that team leaders later admitted they had played a role in this difficult start. A new test session awaited them this week, this time in Qatar, an opportunity to start over.
“We worked hard in Sepang. It's always complicated when you get a new bike, and it was even more so because in Sepang I started with the old bike, which gave me great sensations. When you switch to a new bike, we it takes time. Here it went much better, right from the first laps”, commented Vinales enthusiastically after the first of the two scheduled days.
The first task was to define an aerodynamic configuration, although the pilots mentioned as many as 15 during the first test. “We more or less clarified the matter,” explained the Spaniard on Monday evening, “and said 'Ok, let's take this'. This is the great work we did today. Most of my rides were dedicated to aerodynamics “.
Fifth in the standings after the first day, two tenths behind his teammate, Maverick Vinales already seemed more serene thanks to the potential expressed on the track. “I use a different aerodynamic package, so I probably have a different feeling from him,” he said of Aleix Espargaró, “but in the end we were both fast, so it's very positive. It's true that I didn't do a time attack, I probably would have been faster if I had made one.”
Despite sixth place on Tuesday, Vinales reduced the gap between himself and his neighbor in the garage (0″127) and the leading Ducati (four tenths instead of seven). Having solved the aerodynamic problem, he concentrated his efforts on electronics, but he couldn't feel completely comfortable. “With the new engine it's difficult. I'm not up to date, especially with engine braking. We still need to work, so it's something we will do during the race weekend,” he announced while leaving the circuit where he will return in a fortnight for the first Grand Prix of the season.
Maverick Viñales choose the aero package, but you can't go through the difficult ones you want to find with the new Aprilia.
Photo de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
The rider from Roses concluded his preparatory tests with a race simulation, with a series of 18 laps and an average time of 1'52″ high. These times were much less convincing than those of Espargaro who, despite the fall on the eighth lap of his long run, he had started with an impressive pace oscillating between the low 1'52″ and 1'51″9.
“I did a long race simulation, to try to understand well what we need. The bike and the behavior of the tires change a lot, so I think it was an excellent thing to do”, said Maverick Vinales, who however did not he wanted to say more.
“We needed at least another day, maybe two! I still don't feel perfect. One of the good things is that I feel very good in the fast corners, so I'm able to attack decisively and that's very positive. Last year I had a bit of trouble in the third sector and now I'm recovering in the fast corners. It's great because I've always been very fast in the fast corners, except with this bike, so I'm very happy. After that, I have a lot of problems with the brake engine. It's not constant and when you do a long run you notice a lot of problems.”
“For me it's just a question of adjustments”, underlined the pilot regarding the difficulties encountered. “We need to fix the engine braking. We won't call it a problem, but it's something to fix. I think it's easier to fix than other things. In any case, there's still a lot of work to do during the race weekend.”
On the other side of the Aprilia garage, at the end of the winter tests, the story was very different, as it has been since the first laps. Aleix Espargaro was immediately enthusiastic about the new bike, concluding that it is “the best bike” of his career, despite the weight that makes it difficult to ride. But Maverick Vinales wasn't the only one to have adaptation problems, Miguel Oliveira – who moved from a 2022 model to the 2024 version – also struggled to ride without problems. Everyone will have time in Grand Prix practice to finish preparing for the first races, the Sprint on March 9 and the main event on March 10.
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