It is a disgruntled Maverick Viñales that we find on the evening of the fourth Sprint of this 2023 season. However, the Aprilia official is not that far behind at the finish and we could even think that he is the author of the race more than honorable. “Top Gun” avoided the pitfalls to grab a few places, but of course, its ambition is quite different. Seventh behind the valiant Dani Pedrosa, Maverick Viñales knows he has the machine to do better.
« I know I have the opportunity to score a lot of points and I feel like we're wasting everything » said the Spaniard, apparently disappointed by his performance. As on the Yamaha, its average starts cause it a lot of trouble. And again, he can count himself lucky to have had a second chance – because of the red flags – after having totally missed the first. « It's too difficult to pick yourself up when you're falling behind. If we start on top, I'm sure we can fight for victory. It's important to have a good pace, but I'm sorry to be so far behind He adds.
Fortunately,
Aprilia could count on the performance of its private team to score big points. Miguel Oliveira was, once again, grandiose. Ultimately, didn't the problem come from qualifying, which we know was decisive in Jerez? “ In qualifying, I had a bit of uncertainty and with the soft tire, I didn't have a good time. As a team we have to improve in these conditions. JI didn't have confidence when I saw the rain. »
What can Top Gun do from 10th today? 🤔
- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) April 29, 2023
Not the best qualifying for Viñales in mixed conditions, but he can still shine in today's #TissotSprint 💥#SpanishGP 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/3arXKln6Y3
Starting 10th is never easy because on this track, overtaking opportunities arrive relatively late. Thus, the winding part which begins the tour is often the scene of clashes, and it is very difficult to plan quickly even in the event of a good start.. Needless to say, the phenomenon is accentuated in the short format.
Maverick Vinales will have to think about it during the night, because tomorrow, he will stop at the same place at the end of the warm-up lap. Can he come back stronger, and hope, this time, to hit the right wagon? Tell us what you think in the comments!
Here is the Sprint classification at the 2023 MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix:
Classification credit: motogp.com
Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport
