Viñales believes: Maverick wants to win in MotoGP (also) with Aprilia

Asphalt and dirt, what better terrain on which to train with a powerful two-wheeler? And that’s exactly what Maverick Viñales is doing. The Spaniard, who turned 28 on 12 January, is alternating dust and track as he pushes two different Aprilia models to the limit. MotoGP awaits, and he wants to ready for the Sepang tests.

 2023, Top Gun’s ninth MotoGP season

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His ninth in the reigning class that is, and his thirteenth in the world championship. Although still young, Maverick is a veteran of the paddock, with a Moto3 title to his name, scored in 2013 with KTM. He then moved to Moto2, where he won four races.

Viñales moved up to the reigning class in 2015, with Suzuki. His first season was promising, as was 2016, which also brought Top Gun his first win at Silverstone. His success aboard the GSX-RR then earned him a contract with Yamaha.

Once part of the factory Iwata team and equipped with an M1, Viñales reached the top step of the podium on eight occasions but, alas, this wasn’t enough to secure the championship trophy. He can be more than proud of having succeeded on behalf of two different manufacturers, but Maverick is keen to do it again, with a third different MotoGP bike.

An aerodynamic Aprilia for Top Gun

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Think we were being ironic?! Not at all, as the Italian four-cylinder is at the top of its game when it comes to aerodynamic development, so much so that its Japanese rivals have taken inspiration, or rather, they’ve gone so far as to copy it. The fact that Aprilia flies the flag for Italian technology is not exactly news, but it’s worth remembering.

Just as it’s worth remembering Maverick’s goal, which is to win races aboard the RS-GP. Having joined the project at the end of 2021, Viñales scored three podiums in 2022. Now he has his sights set on the highest stop of the rostrum, the one that affords him the best view of the crowds, paddock staff… and his rivals.