Winner of the first two Grands Prix of the year and leader of the World Championship, Maverick made a misstep in Austin which resulted in a fall. He had to leave first position in the general classification to his teammate Valentino Rossi, but he is counting on the suitability of his Yamaha for the Jerez track to get back on track.
In 2016, the Yamahas finished in the first two places on the Andalusian circuit, and despite all his efforts Marc Marquez had to settle for third position, 7 seconds behind Rossi. Vinales therefore knows that he has the best bike and all hopes of regaining his dominant position are therefore allowed.
But Jerez has rarely smiled on him, and since he competed in his first Grand Prix there in 125 in 2011, he has only won one success, in Moto3 in 2013. This is the only time where he reached the podium in six appearances. Last year, he finished sixth at 16.7 on his Suzuki, behind his then teammate Aleix Espargaro.
In terms of qualifying, Maverick has never been transcendent in Jerez. His best place on the grid was second in Moto3 in 2013. This was the only time he started from the front row. Fortunately for him, 2017 is very different, and Vinales is now at the top of his game.
According to Maverick, “ After the disappointing result in Austin, I'm happy that I didn't suffer any injuries. We also proved that we have the potential to fight for victory in every race and that motivates me to arrive at Jerez even stronger than I was at the last GP.
“Jerez is a good track for Yamaha, they have always been very fast there, so I know I can be as strong and fast in Jerez as I was in Austin and like at all the circuits at the start of this season . We will have to be concentrated, find a good configuration for the bike and attack until the end of the race. I am motivated for the next Grand Prix. »
For Team Director Massimo Meregalli, “It’s nice to be back in Europe. We are now in Jerez, which is always a good place to race because every year many spectators come to cheer us on. The atmosphere is very special at the Spanish Grand Prix.
“We arrive here in good shape and with a confident mentality, especially after the performance we achieved in the previous races. Jerez has been a good track for us in the past and that makes next weekend exciting.
“We have had two consecutive victories at the Jerez circuit in the last two years and with Maverick and Vale in good form as they are this season, our expectations are high. We're really looking forward to the weekend. »
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