Has not been present at Silverstone, but Viñales can be considered the winner in the last round of the MotoGP World Championship. After his departure from Yamaha, the Spaniard opted to sign with Aprilia. Perhaps it was his only chance to remain in the championship, but it was a project that, then, had not achieved any results that would ensure a competitive machine in every race on the calendar. But Maverick trusts his great friend, Aleix Espargaró, to face this new challenge and join that family that Granollers speaks so well about. Now, you know that the Italian brand may be the one to start a new adventure.
Viñales has won with Aprilia. And it does so because it reaches a brand totally different from the one it started six years ago. Little remains of that Italian manufacturer that started 116 races ago, with big dreams and a world of work ahead. Now they are stronger than ever And, thanks to Aleix’s tireless efforts, they can have a competitive bike capable of winning. A motorcycle that one of the world’s top riders wants to ride. And Viñales wants to do it with enthusiasm, believing in the project and eager to get on the bike already in Aragon. The pilot leaves behind a step of negativity and frustration to face this new season with mental stability and already wearing a smile.
It was not like that with Dovizioso, who did not show the same interest with the brand and who is now signing with Yamaha for 2022. Maverick Viñaes has been plugged in from the first moment and, without waiting, test this Tuesday the RS-GP that was already waiting for him in Misano with his number on the front of the Aprilia. Two days of testing ahead, with Aleix aware of all his sensations on the track.
His first test: this Tuesday in Misano
And that is the advantage of signing for a team like Aprilia: with concessions. The end point of his history with Yamaha has allowed the Spaniard to make his debut earlier than planned with the Noale brand. Everything will be determined based on this test, which could put Viñales on top of a MotoGP already in Aragon (this September 12), and What wild card in all appointments until the end of the season. The best for the team? That they could do it without getting Lorenzo Savadori off his motorcycle. And, of course, the option is very real. “I would be lying if I said there is no chance of seeing him run this season”, Massimo Rivola, Aprilia’s director, confessed to ‘The Race’ at Silverstone. Another victory for Viñales with Aprilia.
But Aleix, even without knowing how this test will go in Misano, already pointed out that Viñales’ adaptation to the Aprilia will be fast because the RS-GP 2021 is “the most similar bike to the Forward Yamaha” he has had since his time at the tuning fork brand in 2014. The only thing is that the Roses driver will have to adapt to the V4 engine (something new for him), “at the first touch of the engine” and, especially, “to the downforce”, Aleix began at Silverstone. “I’m sure he will be very happy when he gets on the bike”, adds the Aprilia rider, confident that Viñales will feel comfortable from the start. For now, he has been happy, showing the entire process on his Instagram social network.
The best Aprilia since his arrival in MotoGP
Whether by destiny or by chance, Maverick will come to the team at the height of his championship journey. After a lot of work and years of changes, Aprilia got its first podium in MotoGP this past Sunday, the first in its history (fourth in the premier class), but the first of many triumphs to follow. And, why not, even a victory before the end of the year, about which Aleix already wants to be asked. Or, at least, that’s his goal because, he says, you no longer want to get off the drawer until the end of the season. “GRANDE ALEIX GRANDE APRILIA 🔥 Congratulations 🍾”, wrote in his networks Maverick, after the third place of the Noale brand.
For the moment, his adventure has already begun and he is already rolling in Misano. “Looking forward to everything to come!”, wrote the new Aprilia rider along with a video on his ‘Instagram’, where he showed his embarking on a new challenge in his sporting career within MotoGP.