Maverick Viñales finished tenth in a French Grand Prix marked by seven retirements and 17 riders at the finish, just over 17 seconds behind his teammate Aleix Espargaró who celebrated another podium with Aprilia. Box boss Massimo Rivola noted that once again, and as always since the start of his career in MotoGP, his 27-year-old rider lacked pace at the start of the race before posting times that could have been allow him to play in front, if he had woken up as soon as the pack was released. A situation that raises questions at a time when the transfer market is in turmoil. And Maverick Viñales still has nothing defined for 2023 and beyond…
Maverick Vinales plays serenity at the end of a Grand Prix of France, seventh round of the season, who nevertheless once again demonstrated that he was far from the level of his teammate Aleix Espargaró. The latter knows theAprilia since 2017, but when Casa Particular in Viñales was recovered immediately after his stormy divorce with Yamaha , we thought he would get up to speed much more quickly, given his track record.
But this is not the case in this MotoGP which is unforgiving today. He doesn't leave much time to prove himself either. But the Top Gun assures that he still has some: “ we are about to take the plunge, so we have to keep pushing and with a lot of motivation. Every time I feel better, I think that I still need to make some ergonomic modifications on the bike to finish integrating well, I'm still a little uncomfortable, but little by little I feel better , with each race I take a step forward » we read about him on Motosan. " I think my riding style will eventually adapt to this type of bike, but it will take time and above all, understand how to do things with this type of machine, make sure that it does what I need. It will take time, but once we have it, I will go quickly, that's for sure ».
Maverick Vinales: “ I'm not kidding: I have a huge desire to eat everything«
A positive speech therefore, but the Spaniard also occasionally has postures betraying a certain weariness and a sort of annoyance. Feelings that he knows he must curb now that Suzuki promised his departure from the paddock, leaving two excellent drivers on the sidelines urgently looking for a handlebar for 2023… So, Maverick Vinales insists on his motivation: “ I'm good where I am and I want to improve. The bike can be very good, it can have a lot of potential and little by little it shows. I want to continue in this project because, honestly, I love the bike, I love the team and the way we approach everything. I will push this project ».
And he ends: “ I have ridden over the last nine years on two Japanese motorcycles which are very different, they have nothing to do with each other, it will take time. I have been with this new bike for seven races, in some test sessions I am ahead, even in the lead, this means that once I have integrated it and the automation of the head goes by itself, I will be able to do things that I have not done until now. I have a huge desire. And I'm not kidding: I have a huge desire to eat everything ».
