The Official Yamaha rider saw an improvement in Thailand in this complicated second part of the season and is impatiently waiting to see if the progress is real or if it was just a mirage.
We know that 2018 is a fairly dark year for Yamaha, and this second part of the season pushes the manufacturer a little deeper into a dark period. Despite this, solutions seem to have been found in Thailand where its four drivers (Rossi and Viñales on one side, Zarco and Syahrin on the other) were competitive throughout the weekend. So, illusion or real progress?
After his podium in Buriram, Maverick Vinales wants to believe in real changes and is eager to get on the track to verify all of this: “After the Buriram Grand Prix, I told myself that we are where we need to be and that this race and this weekend should be normal. We made a positive change on the bike and I felt great. The team worked well. I think we will finally get results after working so hard. The small modifications made to the machine are finally visible. In Thailand my speed when passing curves was my strong point. The tires brought there were different from the ones we usually use, which may have also helped me. On top of all that, we made changes to weight balance, which also showed results. I'm very curious to see at Motegi if what worked was more the tires or the new setup. It's a very special circuit for us because it's Yamaha's home Grand Prix. It will be important to put in a good performance in Japan in front of all of our directors and our wonderful fans who keep cheering us on. I can not wait to be there. »
