In a race characterized by uncertainty, Maverick Viñales carved out a niche for himself among the three fastest riders on the Assen track. The Aprilia rider crossed the finish line signing his first podium with the Noale factory since joining in 2021.
After celebrating his third position, the rider from Rosas claimed to have taken a step forward with his RS-GP , seeing himself with the possibility of being able to sign a next podium soon.
However, that will not be an easy road for the Spaniard, who did not hesitate to recognize his weaknesses in a weekend of racing. “I feel like I have the potential to be at the top, but I have to improve during qualifying on Saturday. I know if I start on the front or second row I can [win], so that will be our goal, because on a pace level, we’re going strong. “.
“I am very happy for Aprilia and for my teammate. They are working hard and Aleix has cut points in the championship, so it can be a very interesting second part of the season. This is a consequence of the hard work we have done and not throw in the towel,” emphasized Viñales.
“I would have been happy even if I hadn’t been on the podium, because over the years, I’ve learned to always stay in the same frame of mind, regardless of the result, without letting up. If you want to win, the only way It’s taking a small step every day.
Continuing along these lines, the rider from Roses was full of praise when talking about his team, bragging about the camaraderie that exists in the Italian factory. Between words of thanks, Viñales stopped to talk about his partner, Aleix Espargaró.
“I have to thank not only Aprilia, but also Aleix [Espargaró]. He was the first to give me a hand, telling me to come here, that I would be well received and that they would help me to be fast again.”
“Now we work together a lot. There are many circuits where I do things better than Aleix, very few, and he does a lot better than me, and we learn from each other.”
So much so, that the man from Aprilia did not hide when he stated that the team’s priority is to win the World Championship. In this objective, Viñales will not hesitate to extend his hand and lend his help.
“Aleix is close in the championship, so if I go faster in a race, it is important that he finishes before me in the championship. I work for Aprilia and we work together and that will make us stronger. If he has the opportunity and I have to let him pass, I will do it. I will help him without a doubt”.
“Off the track we have a dream, which is to take Aprilia to be a team champion. It doesn’t matter if you’re first or second, we want this bike to be the most competitive. He knows the bike very well, and he fits like a glove. I have to learn a couple of things from him”, concluded Maverick in reference to his garage mate.
