After having struggled so much with an unfathomable 2017 chassis while seeing Johann Zarco shine with last year's opus, the official Yamaha riders were therefore entitled, for the race in Valencia, to return to their first loves. Without a miracle, however. We know it, if Valentino Rossi appreciated the reunion, he made it clear that it was not a panacea. What about Maverick Viñales? The one who has never been able to enter the top 10 on Saturday and Sunday delivers...
To Casa Particular in Viñales, the cold shower is difficult to bear. Three Grands Prix won during the first five events of the 2017 season, then a single podium won after the last six meetings on the calendar. Enough to lose your Latin. But not his language: “ For me and for the team, this season has been really difficult. Everyone wants to move on and start from scratch. We will try to find the good sensations from the start of the tests. I don't know what happened, and I don't want to know anymore. I want to move on to the next season and not experience the same mistakes ».
« I don't want to think about the last races because they were crazy and complicated. I know that last year, in Valencia, I had good times after only two laps. Now I'm going to do my best, turn as much as possible and find a good rhythm ».
Certainly, but which chassis in the end? We don't know, but the Spaniard, despite the appearance of the disappointing result, appreciated the fact of going back to that of 2016: “ the sensations were very good and from the first laps of warm-up, I was running a low 1'32. Already in the second lap I was a second faster and it was something that had been impossible for me to do until then. But maybe I pushed too hard cause I fell ».
And this fall deprived him of precious laps which would have allowed him to better approach the race: “ I had problems with the rear tire. My feelings with this tire were not good. He was vibrating a lot at the end, he wasn't working normally. So I didn't want to take unnecessary risks. But I'm happy because this chassis worked very well in the morning. I believe that it is therefore possible to redress our situation ».
Qualified thirteenth and ranked twelfth for his last performance in 2017, Casa Particular in Viñales gives its roadmap for a sequel which will have to resolve this major problem of poor use of the rear tire on tracks with low grip, when the rain does not interfere... " Until then, I didn't ask for anything and I made do with what was given to me. But we will now concentrate on understanding all the parameters better and trying not to get lost along the way. We will try to trust my feelings and my driving style more ».
Maverick Vinales, with his three victories and despite his disappointing end to the race, finished third in this 2017 MotoGP championship won by Marc Márquez to the detriment ofAndrea Dovizioso.
