After a discreet Thai Grand Prix, Maverick Viñales seems to have rediscovered his best version. The Aprilia driver finished the first day of free practice for the Australian Grand Prix in fifth position, less than three tenths behind Johann Zarco and ahead of his teammate, Aleix Espargaró.
Speaking after FP2, Viñales explained the reasons behind the breakthrough over Buriram. “One of the things we’ve been able to see is that the bike runs better with the new tire casings. It’s much easier to be up front with them.”
“In Thailand we suffered a lot, and it’s because it was a different carcass, because the bike was developed to work with other compounds. I felt really good, we still have things to improve, but we’re still at the top, so I’m very satisfied with the first day,” he summed up.
In addition, this weekend ‘Mack’ returns to Phillip Island, one of his favorite circuits where he has always been competitive.
“I haven’t raced on this track in a long time,” he acknowledged, “but I didn’t have any major problems.” “I have to change my lines a bit, because I need to attack the corners more, so I have to readapt a bit. I feel much more complete with the Aprilia, because I can also push under braking.”
Maverick insisted that the only thing different from Buriram is the tires . “The set up is the same as in Thailand. In the end you can’t redo the set up , you have to use the rest of the season. It’s more the details than the setting.”
In addition, Viñales praised the good work of the compounds from the first outing to the track. “The tire works from the moment you leave the pits. It works better than other years. In addition, now we have a warning light on the display that tells us when the tire is cold, and that gives us a lot of confidence. Normally we only use it when it’s cold, because it is another source of information”.
Do you want to read our news before anyone else and for free? Follow us here on our Telegram channel and you won’t miss a thing. All the information, at your fingertips!
