MotoGP, Portugal J3 Massimo Rivola Aprilia: “it is unacceptable not to be able to capitalize on the performance of a rider who was exceptional”

Sunday was a bitter day for Maverick Viñales and the Aprilia team, as a technical problem deprived the Spanish rider of an almost assured podium at the Portuguese Grand Prix. Despite a resounding victory in the sprint race, a problem at the end of the race forced him to retire, even though he had brilliantly occupied second place behind Jorge Martin. A lack of reliability which pushed Massimo Rivola, the brand's boss in MotoGP, to the front...

Massimo rivola, speaking to Sky Sport MotoGP, shared his disappointment: “ Looks like a gearbox problem. Initial analyzes suggest this, and we are in the process of taking it apart for confirmation. It's all the more frustrating since Maverick had already started to encounter problems well before his abandonment. It is unacceptable not to be able to capitalize on the performance of a driver who was exceptional. It's essential to finish the races ».

Rivola highlights the competitiveness of Viñales and the Aprilia RS-GP throughout the weekend, while expressing deep disappointment for the retirement: “ it's a huge disappointment. Still, the bike and Maverick showed they were very competitive. This gives us hope for the future. We finally figured out how to make it go viyou. We have a lot of races ahead of us, and he will have the opportunity to prove his worth »

Maverick Vinales: “ it's up to Aprilia to react »

Reassuring about the state of health of Viñales, Rivola adds: " luckily he only has a scratch and a bruise. He is doing well physically. We have seen here how to sort things out and we hope to see him play a leading role in the next races ».

Maverick Vinales he himself explained: “ from the first laps, I couldn't get into sixth gear. Then it got worse until it broke. It is crucial to improve reliability. Despite everything, we had a great weekend. Even with these problems, I had a good rhythm. It was frustrating, but now it's up to Noale to act ».

The Top Gun expresses his hope for the future while being satisfied with his performances: “ if we find the right balance, we can achieve such performances. I would have fought with Martin without these problems. I want to encourage everyone at Aprilia. We must continue with optimism ».

MotoGP race results Portuguese GP

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Credit classification motogp.com