RiderTua.com – Maverick Vinales received a lot of praise because he was considered to have changed from his previous self, who was criticized for giving up too easily and quickly admitting defeat. Last weekend at COTA, the Aprilia factory rider became the first MotoGP rider to win a grand prix with 3 different manufacturers (Suzuki, Yamaha and Aprilia).
His win was all the more impressive as he slipped from first to 11th in the first sector, before bouncing back to achieve a sensational victory.
Neil Hodgson, who works as a motor racing commentator and TV studio pundit, trackday racing instructor said, “It was just one of those classic races, we’ll still be talking about it for years to come. The way Maverick recovered after a bad start to the race, was incredible .”
Previously, Maverick Vinales gave up easily and was frustrated. Now he has changed
Neil Hodgson added, “I saw him at turns 1 to 11 and thought, ‘Maverick is finished’. What a ride! At the start, he dropped the clutch, not good. At that moment, we knew it wasn’t good, so we had to act immediately defensive.”
Vinales was knocked out in the first lap, like he was intimidated, pushed aside, and that’s why he withdrew. “(At first) I thought the race was over. But he didn’t panic. He believed in himself and he took his chances. In these conditions, in the past Maverick would have been frustrated. He made some mistakes and finished 8th. He remained calm. The bike looked Extraordinary.”
“His bike set-up is great, he has magic, magical balance… Usually it’s a compromise. Whether braking power and stability, or cornering speed, he has everything, in abundance… In the past, maybe Maverick would have given up and said ‘it’s not my day, how can I get back to the front from 11th place?’ Now there is so much desire to win, so much determination, so much perseverance, that some people in the paddock and the media have questioned him.”
Vinales’ victory at the Texas GP came 24 hours after he also won in the sprint. After winning the Portimao sprint, the 28 year old rider managed to win two sprints in a row.
Aprilia boss Massimo Rivola praised the RS-GP24 as the fastest bike in the first three MotoGP series of the 2024 season. In his 10th season in the premier class, Vinales impressed with a new attitude and increasingly strong confidence to add to his undoubted talent.
