Viñales: "We are going to try to fish in the mess at the start"

Ducati will field three riders on the front row of the San Marino Grand Prix starting grid, where Jack Miller starts on pole with Enea Bastianini and Marco Bezzecchi right beside him. However, the orders in the Italian house are to favor Pecco Bagnaia, who is the one who is playing for the championship and leaves, after receiving three suspension positions, fifth just behind Maverick Viñales.

Bagnaia will try to recover positions at the start and the three teammates in front of him will have to go with kid gloves so as not to harm him, a situation that the Spaniard from Aprilia could take advantage of.

“Hopefully, you have to fish in any mess. I start in a good position because I go around the outside, and this is good when braking (in the first corner). We will have to prepare very well the first flight, we have to arrive with the tires very tight temperature and focused on gaining positions”, explained Maverick this Saturday in Misano.

The Catalan feels strong and wants to be on the podium again, like in the Assen and Silverstone races.

“I have a lot of confidence, we have built it up race by race and I feel better with the bike in general. Above all, I feel more prepared since FP1, I start the first free practice and I can already make good times and that gives us a lot of advantage for to be able to prepare for the weekend.

Looking ahead to this Sunday’s race, the forecasts are unstable and it is not known if it will finally rain.

“In theory, the forecast is that the race will be dry, but so close to the sea it is unpredictable,” he explained. “It’s been a long time since we’ve ridden in the wet, the bike has changed a lot, but I think we can go well, in Austria I felt good in the wet, I’m going with an open mind to do it well in dry or wet conditions,” he added.

After the podiums at Assen and Silverstone, the Aprilia faltered in Austria, a handicap already overcome.

“Better or not, there is more grip and that helps and solves other problems. In Austria it was very difficult for us to stop the bike and here it seems easier. But then, in Spielberg I came out and was ready to fight for the podium. we are doing a good job, improving and what I like the most is that from Friday to Sunday I improve a lot, a lot, and I love that because I can plan the weekend well and the day I feel stronger is Sunday, and That’s great. It’s a bit of the confidence that the bike gives you, with the Aprilia the bike changes very little from one training session to the next and that’s essential to improve meter by meter on the circuit and understand the set-up well. that if in FP4 I do 32.3, in the race I do the same time, because the bike works the same and that motivates me because it allows me to always be there”, settled the boy from Roses.

Maverick Viñales, Aprilia Racing Team