Maverick Vinales: Maybe Massimo Rivola Wants Me to Immediately Sign a Contract Extension

RiderTua.com – Maverick Vinales put on an incredible performance at COTA Austin. With his victory in the main race, he has now managed to set a record as a racer in the MotoGP era who won with 3 different manufacturers (Suzuki, Yamaha and Aprilia).

Ahead of his home race at Jerez, the 29 year old rider looked excited. “I want to repeat that success in Jerez, I dream of it! That’s incredible. We have to be realistic and also smart. Like in Austin, we have to always be at the forefront and get the best potential out of the bike. Especially Jerez, it’s a good challenge because everyone people know the track very well,” said Vinales.

Maverick Vinales: Maybe Massimo Rivola wants me to immediately sign a contract extension

Maverick Vinales added that he doesn’t see any negative points about the Jerez layout. He should be at the same level as at Portimao and Austin. There will also be a test later. If he was able to achieve victory, he would definitely be very happy.

The Aprilia factory rider revealed, “Emotions were very high when I came home from Austin. I didn’t sleep a minute on the plane, I was very excited but of course very tired. Rachel (wife) and I knew what problems I was facing at first. It wasn’t easy for a long time, I often hit a dead end.

“This went on until 2023, in Doha (Qatar) I managed to overcome this. But for a long time there were no results. I rode a motorbike (highway) 140 kilometers to Austin. When we were successful, special things happened ,” he added.

The Jerez track is notoriously narrow and the speed improvements in MotoGP are incredible. Maverick said that there were improvements in two areas, namely tires and aerodynamics, a lot of things were done there. About the race track here, they (organizers) did a good job, creating more space and in some corners. That’s what the drivers are asking for and that’s good news. Top speed is also not faster because of aerodynamics.

Regarding the quality of the Aprilia RS GP, Vinales explained, “We can see it even on TV, for example at the last corner in Portimao our bike is very stable here. But other manufacturers also have their own advantages. Jorge Martin can brake very extreme in tight corners , which I also pay close attention to.”

“If I get better at it, I can go fast in fast corners. But actually our bike is quite good on any track. But for me it’s about reducing losses, especially in 180 degree corners. In particular I focus on the rider I know to do everything better,” added teammate Aleix Espargaro.

Regarding his development, Vinales said that a lot had changed when he first came to Aprilia in 2021. Now he can say for himself that everything happens for a reason. The rider from Spain beat the first lap like the last lap in Austin. He also tries to keep things simple and enjoy this wonderful sport.

Regarding rumors of the possibility of Marc Marquez joining Aprilia, Vinales said, “When I hear these rumors, it means we are doing a good job! But I am more confident that he is at Ducati. Every good race puts us in a better position, we too I have to develop myself. The last thing now is that I want to change something. Of course there is a big challenge in the paddock. We made history in Austin, most people are very happy about that success I have rarely seen before, maybe only when Valentino (Rossi) won.”

Regarding his own contract extension, Vinales said, “I’m not in a rush. I want to see what other riders are doing. Maybe Massimo Rivola wants me to sign (a contract extension) immediately. I’m 29 years old and I feel I’m still young and I still have enough time. I just want to be here, focused and perform well every weekend.”