Maverick Viñales was once again in good form on Friday at the Spanish MotoGP Grand Prix. The Aprilia man led the afternoon practice session until near the end, finishing in second just 0.100s behind Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati).
Seeing the field very balanced, the Spaniard considers it a positive start: ‘In this case where everyone starts at a good level, we are at the top, it’s good news. Of course, it’s only Friday, but we know how to work to improve from Friday to Saturday and from Saturday to Sunday. So, we will try‘.
Aware of what needs improvement, Viñales specified which areas those are: ‘For me, strong braking like turns 1, 2, and 6, is the main key to take a step forward for tomorrow. But it’s just because we are not well tuned for me in electronics, I believe we are not correct in engine braking, so I am not able to use the maximum performance of our bike‘.
Regarding his performance in the last sector of the Jerez circuit, the rider commented: ‘Listen, the fourth sector is my sector in Jerez, so I think I am able to make a difference. But then in the third sector, I lose 0.3s, so I need to improve in the third sector. Maybe I lose 0.1s in the 4th and gain 0.2s in the 3rd. It will be a good game‘.
The sense of mental tranquility that Viñales described in Austin remains, as he himself mentioned: ‘I have felt this way since last year in Valencia, where I was able to ride the bike to the maximum. For me, if I can ride the bike to the maximum, I am happy, regardless of the results. And today I was able to ride in a very good way. There are things to improve, but I feel with a lot of potential‘.
