Maverick Viñales left Yamaha in the middle of 2021 to join Aprilia in MotoGP, taking a risky bet by switching from a constructor that was fighting for titles at the time to one that had not yet shown strong results. The progress since his arrival has been remarkable, culminating in a double win at the Catalunya GP.
In a press conference, the Spaniard confessed that his teammate, Aleix Espargaró, played a key role in his decision, which is now bearing fruit: ‘Three years ago we were talking in his motorhome [Espargaró]. I wasn’t sure, because ultimately it’s always difficult to make a bet like this. I had very good contracts, and in the end I bet on myself, I bet on Aprilia. Of course, Aleix had a lot of influence, because in the end two good riders, two strong riders, can achieve much more than one, and that’s what we’re doing: we’re pushing the factory forward‘.
E Viñales a donné un exemple: ‘En fin de compte, vous pouvez voir à quel point nous avons poussé l’usine en Autriche pour apporter quelque chose à Barcelone pour le départ et ils l’ont fait. C’est ce qui est bien : ils ont une réponse rapide. Étape par étape, je pense que nous pouvons rêver, et c’est bien – tellement, tellement bien’.
