In the pre-season that ended last Sunday in Indonesia, the Noale brand seems to have confirmed the step forward it had already mentioned the previous week in Sepang.
In the combined standings of the last three days of testing in Mandalika, Aleix Espargaró finished fourth, three tenths behind the fastest driver, his brother Pol, and one ahead of Viñales, who finished eighth overall.
Maverick Viñales joined Aprilia at the end of last season after a traumatic separation with Yamaha. His best result in his last five Grands Prix was eighth place in the second round at Misano, where he crossed the line behind Aleix.
After passing the adaptation period to the new bike and to what will surely be his new home for some time, Viñales now has to validate the bet made by Aprilia, and the only way to do so is with the results and contributing with his experience. to make the RS-GP an even faster bike.
“Maverick brought tremendous knowledge of a type of bike that curve very well, like Suzuki and Yamaha. Being such a sensitive rider, I think he will also give us an advantage in the development of the bike,” said Massimo Rivola, speaking at Motorsport.com in Indonesia.
Viñales’ adventure at Yamaha was not all roses and flowers, although his first steps with the Iwata manufacturer seemed to foreshadow it, given that he had presented himself by winning the first two races of 2017.
Then came the frictions and misunderstandings, which then led to a confrontation that could only be resolved with the separation of the roads: first Maverick Viñales gave up the second year of the contract he had signed, and then the forced divorce followed. of the crime of the final laps of the Styrian Grand Prix, in which he gave the feeling of driving only to damage the engine of his M1.
The result was his arrival at Aprilia, a facility that is currently unable to fight for the title, as in the case of Yamaha, and this has led many to believe that the Catalan was looking for a place to live with. less pressure.
“I am very happy to have Maverick and to see how he has integrated. Our idea is to continue with him as long as possible, because he is the perfect age (27). Last year we only did five races with him, and we took them more as a test. This year there will be 21 Grands Prix. I’m curious to see how Maverick will react under pressure, “said Rivola, convinced that both he and the new team he has created around the boy of Roses will allow him to show his best version.
“After what I was told and what I had seen of him on television, we want to see if we have been able to make him evolve”, concluded the Italian manager.
Gallery: Maverick Viñales at the Mandalika test
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