Maverick Viñales has been one of the standout riders in 2024, even though he has already won a race this year (in Austin). With some considering him a title contender, the rider is on the rise after a difficult period a few years ago when his mental state was not at its best, but now he admitted to being stronger than ever.
The Aprilia Racing rider recalled his time at Yamaha where he was constantly criticized, especially in recent times with the manufacturer, as mentioned in Motosan: ‘In Austria 2021 it was very difficult, we received a lot of criticism, without reason, obviously, because not everyone is there to understand what is happening. I was heavily criticized because of my head, I don’t know what. In the end, as you can see, they give me the bike, I accelerate, I get to the front, I have no issues, no problems, nothing, of course’.
Unlike other MotoGP riders who have admitted to seeking psychological help, the same did not happen with #12: ‘I haven’t been to any psychologist, I haven’t been to anything. Honestly, I am… how would I say, I try to be… how would an ancient tribe say? A guru, no, a wizard of myself, you have to know yourself’.
Such moments have made him grow, he claims, and have made him stronger, with Aprilia by his side: ‘All this experience has helped me a lot to know myself and to know where I am. We have taken very positive things from 2021 or 2022, which have outweighed the negatives, by far. We have grown a lot in just two years. That has been very good, it has made me very strong’.
