The Yamaha rider concluded the first test of the 2019 pre-season at the top of the standings, but regrets not having been able to test more because questions persist.
This first pre-season test turned out to be positive for Maverick Vinales who finished first on each of the two days. The Spanish rider only wanted to work on the new Yamaha engine and therefore tried two models, without touching the rest of the bike. The progress is significant but the drivers have not been able to ride as much as expected due to the rain, and he therefore wants to wait for the Jerez test to really make a decision.
Regardless, he is satisfied with this first 2019 test: “The test was positive. We worked a lot on improving the first lap of the race. I'm really happy because I had good grip from the start and was able to attack. There is still work to be done to continue improving braking and power. This is what we will do in Jerez. It was bad luck that we weren't able to ride all day, as we had planned. We haven't really been able to test the new engines, so we will decide after Jerez which one we will use. Like I said, we need to try harder to be more sure of our decision, but I think we are on the right track. We need to focus on riding style. Getting a smoother bike will also be very important, especially when there is no racing grip. An update is coming and it should help us a lot.
During these two days I only focused on the engine and did not touch anything concerning the settings. I think we could have really improved our basic settings but I'm already happy to have gained tenths just with the engine. »
We will therefore see next week whether or not the Spaniard's results are confirmed during the Jerez test.
