        IronMan for a day: Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales recharged the batteries ahead of the Misano GP in an unusual way, taking part in the &ldquo;70.3&rdquo; triathlon event in Zell am See (swimming, cycling and running), which took place last weekend in Austria. 70 miles of swimming, cycling and running in 5 hours  &ldquo;Top Gun&rdquo; was able to show off his physical form during an event that essentially runs over half the distance of a traditional IronMan. Maverick swam 1.9 kilometres, before riding 90 km by bike and then running a distance of 21 km (for a total of 70.3 miles, hence the name of the event). He reached the finish line in a little over five hours, demonstrating the high level of athletic preparation that today&rsquo;s MotoGP requires, all of the riders true all-round athletes. Vi&ntilde;ales finished 49th in his category and placed 384th overall. Now, though, attention turns to the San Marino and Riviera di Rimini GP, where he will aim to get back on the podium with his Aprilia RS-GP, having already done so at Assen and Silverstone. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Aprilia welcomes Oliveira and Fernandez to the RNF team       

The Aprilia rider put himself to the test during a very tough triathlon in Austria, showcasing his form ahead of Misano

MotoGP, unstoppable Maverick Viñales puts in a strong IronMan performance

        In the exact place where he suffered the lowest point of his career just twelve months prior, Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales experienced a rebirth, putting his problems behind him and embarking on a new chapter in MotoGP. In reaching the podium at Van Drenthe, the 27-year old Spaniard had a breakthrough, becoming (almost) one with his Aprilia. And that &lsquo;almost&rsquo; should worry his rivals, as the number 12 rider can grow further. And he will. Twelve months, a life that changes  It was late June 2021 and Maverick was wearing Yamaha colours. And they were tight on him, let&rsquo;s be honest. He did well to finish second on the podium at the end of a race won by Fabio Quartararo &ndash; his then team-mate no less &ndash; but something had been wrong for a while. Something big&hellip; Between the Sachsenring disaster and the &lsquo;DNF&rsquo; at the Red Bull Ring, his contract was rescinded with the subsequent legal and financial consequences. This didn&rsquo;t go down well with Yamaha bosses, as the contract was set to run until 2022. And that&rsquo;s why the Spaniard didn&rsquo;t race in Austria. The move to black  Maverick was black, or no, even worse&hellip; Maverick was grey, a colour that we can bet very few people like. Definitely not an &lsquo;all or nothing&rsquo; type like Vi&ntilde;ales, who found himself at a significant crossroads &ndash; should he stop racing altogether, or start over elsewhere, perhaps in a place where (mutual) trust could be felt in the garage? And so it was that he took part in a life-changing test, aboard the RS-GP bike at Misano. And the Spaniard clearly got on well with the Italian four-cylinder, as he immediately found himself competing in a race. As of Arag&oacute;n last year, a new MotoGP adventure began for &lsquo;Vinny&rsquo;, who continues to ride for the Noale factory team today. He was a rose ready to bloom. The Assen podium - new lifeblood for Mav  The third step of the rostrum is already impressive, if we&rsquo;re talking MotoGP. Let alone if it comes after a twelve month fast. And Mav did just this, rounding out the podium at Van Drenthe. In a race won by Pecco Bagnaia, and in which Marco Bezzecchi proved himself on the world stage, the Catalan rider found himself again. But he was never really lost. It was more a matter of environment. Without judging whether one team is better than another, as that&rsquo;s not up to us, Vi&ntilde;ales found what he was looking for with the Noale-based squad, or rather understanding, trust and respect. And the right bike. Aleix has Vinny, the others don&rsquo;t  Like when we were kids, playing with our models: I have this one, you don&rsquo;t. Exactly what Aprilia might say now, with Vi&ntilde;ales in its ranks. The black squad now knows that it can count on a &lsquo;second&rsquo; rider who is as quick as the first. Because Maverick will do it again, doing better than he did at Assen. You&rsquo;ll see. And who will benefit? He will of course, as much as Aleix Espargar&oacute;. The latter has a team-mate who is ready to offer a supportive shoulder. Who else can say the same? Quarta at Yamaha? No. Pecco in Ducati? Not always. Suzuki, KTM and Honda? Forget about it. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Aleix Espargar&oacute; from ugly duckling to frontrunner       

In reaching the podium at Assen, Maverick has had a breakthrough. It is he who will tip the balance in the fight for the title, Aprilia can benefit from him

Viñales, Aleix Espargaró’s extra weapon in the fight for the MotoGP title

The news was already in the air and so comes as no surprise as it is confirmed - the Aprilia Racing team and Aleix Espargar&oacute; will continue to collaborate throughout the 2023 and 2024 MotoGP seasons.  In addition to the number 41 Catalan rider, another Catalonian in the shape of Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales will also remain aboard the RS-GP, having come to the team in the summer of 2021. The former Moto3 champ has also secured a two-year contract, just like Espargar&oacute;. The Noale squad thus sticks with what it knows.  Aprilia in MotoGP: stability means performance   Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola explains it well: &quot;Stability means performance&quot;. Basically, when the family is united, it takes continuous steps forward. And Technical Director Romano Albesiano is in agreement: &quot;We&rsquo;ll be able to guarantee development along well-defined paths, that will undoubtedly result in growth&quot;.  And what do the two riders think? They&rsquo;re very happy of course: &quot;I&rsquo;m pleased as I&rsquo;ve finally got what I wanted and dreamed of&quot;, comments Aleix. &quot;I&rsquo;m happy for me and for Aprilia, I want to prove that I deserve the trust that has been put in me once more after so many years together.&quot;  And Maverick? &quot;I am comfortable here, it&rsquo;s like a family&rdquo;, he says, &ldquo;Everyone&rsquo;s so kind and confirming our collaboration will give my career a real boost. The goal? Podiums and race wins, we&rsquo;ll work hard to get there soon&quot;.  Translated by Heather Watson  MotoGP, Marc Marquez admits: &ldquo;I admire Valentino Rossi&rdquo; 

The Noale manufacturer will again put their trust in Catalonian duo Aleix and Maverick in 2023 and 2024: &quot;Continuity equals performance&quot;

Italian GP, Aprilia renews with Espargar&oacute; and Vi&ntilde;ales for another two years

        The start of the 2022 season has brought a turnaround for two well-known faces in the MotoGP World Championship. The first is 2021 world champion Fabio Quartararo, and the second is former Yamaha rider, Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales. The two former team-mates seem to be experiencing very different situations compared to last season. The Frenchman, so happy with the Iwata manufacturer last year, is now crying bitter tears, while the Spaniard appears much more serene after moving to the Noale manufacturer. Quartararo and a situation that needs to change as soon as possible  How much can the MotoGP World Championship change, from one year to the next? A great deal it seems. The start of the season is once again highlighting the unpredictability of the championship. While the end of the 2021 season saw Fabio Quartararo celebrating the world title with his M1, this year the Frenchman seems increasingly inclined to leave the blue team. Sure, he scored a good result in Indonesia, where he was able to finish second despite the rain. But this has been the only positive result in three races, in that he finished ninth in Qatar and eighth in Argentina. Not to mention the championship standings as, although we&rsquo;re still only at the start of the season and anything can happen, he lies fifth with 35 points to date. In recent years, with no one specific leader dominating all races from start to finish, one factor has become crucial, and that is that consistency pays off. And so if Fabio is unable to win the races, he will need to finish at least top five to be in with a chance of the title. Something that is not happening right now. Already during pre-season testing, Quartararo had expressed his dissatisfaction with the M1, the top speed of which is not in line with that of the competition, but now the waters in Iwata are increasingly muddy, with the French rider being courted by various other teams. After the Argentinian race, the rider himself commented: &ldquo;A change of team is something to consider. My future is not clear, so I need to think carefully and take my time&rdquo;. Vi&ntilde;ales has made the right choice  And talking about consistent results, who is leading the way in the championship standings? Aprilia rider Aleix Espargar&oacute; who, thanks to a win in Argentina and a fourth and ninth place in Qatar and Indonesia, can feel satisfied, particularly thanks to an RS-GP and a team that is finally up at the sharp end and fighting on equal terms with its rivals. And, like Aleix, Vi&ntilde;ales also has reason to celebrate, the door to happiness having once again opened after the difficulties and frustration with Yamaha, the split and his arrival at Aprilia. He is still adapting to a bike that is very different to the Yamaha of course, but Maverick is definitely not short on talent and can achieve anything he wants with the RS-GP. While last year saw him crying bitter tears, the rider feeling as if the team did not really value him, he has nothing to worry about with Aprilia. It looks as if he and Quartararo have essentially reversed roles, the Spaniard now happy after a very tough period, and the Frenchman currently dealing with a number of issues that clearly don&rsquo;t facilitate his work. Will he too need to leave Yamaha in order to be able to smile once more? Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP Americas, Official: Marquez will be there, Texas awaits       

The French Yamaha rider is unhappy, just as Vi&ntilde;ales was last year on the same team. The move to Aprilia has given the Spaniard his smile back, considering also the growth of the Noale team which culminated in a win at Argentina

MotoGP: Viñales-Quartararo role reversal - who’s smiling now?

        Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales&rsquo; debut in Qatar proved rather underwhelming and the struggle to adapt to his Aprilia RS-GP continues this weekend in Indonesia. By the end of Friday, he had set the thirteenth time, seven tenths from the front. Aprilia Race Manager, Paolo Bonora, outlines some of the difficulties. Vi&ntilde;ales&rsquo; difficulties with the Aprilia  Talking to Sky Sport, the Italian comments: &ldquo;As soon as he needs to push harder, and force the braking, he runs wide, so he&rsquo;d like to be able to turn the bike more, but he&rsquo;s having a little trouble mid-turn because his style is different to Aleix&rsquo;s&rdquo;. The problem becomes more critical at a specific moment: &ldquo;When he puts in a fresh tyre, it&rsquo;s even worse, he struggles to turn and finds himself on a less than ideal line when it&rsquo;s time to open the throttle&rdquo;. The Aprilia goals are clear  Having analysed the situation, Bonora adds: &ldquo;We need to try and exploit the rear tyre as much as possible so as to maximum acceleration and gain out of the turns". The aim is clear in their minds: "We want to focus on acceleration out of the turns, but without forgetting that good corner entry and corner speed allows us to do well particularly in qualifying. Not so much in the race, as the management is different". There are many differences between the two phases and Bonora outlines what&rsquo;s required in each: "In qualifying, we focus on finding good corner speeds to set the time through the turns. In the race, also with many riders ahead who break the lines, we need to prioritise braking and rapid restarts. We need to be able to adapt to the two situations&rdquo;. And this is why they need to continue to work hard, together. Unity is strength. Translated by Heather Watson Indonesia GP, Mir: &ldquo;Rain or shine? I don&rsquo;t care&rdquo;       

As the Spaniard struggles to shine with the RS-GP, the Italian manufacturer&rsquo;s race manager clarifies why he&rsquo;s not (yet) able to be quick

MotoGP, Viñales’ problems at Aprilia? Bonora explains at the Indonesian GP

It was a turbulent day at Mandalika today, as riders in the reigning class got a first taste of the Indonesian track. What did they find? Rain and mud, but this wasn&rsquo;t enough to discourage them as riders headed out to test both their prototypes and the track, considering this is everyone&rsquo;s first ever visit.  Vi&ntilde;ales: &ldquo;A really nice track&rdquo;   One man who did well on this first day of action was Aprilia rider Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales, who placed seventh on the timesheets with a best of 1:33.147, just +0.681 from first-placed rider, Pol Espargar&oacute;. The Spaniard offered some first impressions of this new track, which features on the MotoGP calendar for the first time this season: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s really nice, and not so difficult. The layout&rsquo;s great&rdquo;. As for his work today: &ldquo;The bike&rsquo;s working well here, so I&rsquo;d say I&rsquo;m fairly pleased. I didn&rsquo;t push to the max but the lap time was nevertheless good, so I&rsquo;m feeling optimistic&rdquo;.  &ldquo;We need to keep calm&rdquo;   Maverick went on to explain more about the day&rsquo;s work: &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t test new parts but started with the base I&rsquo;d tested at Sepang. We needed to improve in a few areas there, and now here in different areas, but we don&rsquo;t have anything new to test anyway&rdquo;. &nbsp;The journalists are keen to know whether the track is similar to any other circuits? &ldquo;No, it doesn&rsquo;t resemble any other track&rdquo;, comments Vi&ntilde;ales, &ldquo;There are tight turns where you have to stop the bike, and others that are flowing. In this way, it stands out from other tracks and I have to say that I like it&rdquo;.  Considering both his form and his performance during the Sepang tests, might 2022 be Maverick&rsquo;s year? &ldquo;Well, we need to keep calm, to be honest. We need to keep calm because we&rsquo;ve only done one test so far, at Sepang, and now Mandalika where no one has ridden before. We&rsquo;ll need to wait and see in Qatar, where we&rsquo;ll find out exactly where are, and then from there we&rsquo;ll really start to work&rdquo;.  Translated by Heather Watson  Mandalika Test, Bagnaia: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not worried, i have great pace&rdquo; 

The Spaniard is pleased with the work done on day one and likes the new track, but prefers to wait until the next test sessions before making any predictions as to the 2022 season

MotoGP test, Vi&ntilde;ales: &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll see where we are with the Aprilia RS-GP in Qatar&rdquo;

        The world title Fabio Quartararo gifted Yamaha in 2021 put an end to a six-year fast, the manufacturer's previous win dating back to 2015, when it was Jorge Lorenzo to lift the trophy. Fabio's victory went some way to masking the controversy regarding the team&rsquo;s split with Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales, which occurred following the events of the Styrian GP. Yamaha managing director Lin Jarvis looks back at the season and analyses the phases that led up to the split. Frustration and anger   Ahead of the Dutch GP, it already looked like things weren&rsquo;t heading in the right direction: &ldquo;When he told us, at Assen, that he didn&rsquo;t want to see out his contract, we were all very surprised&rdquo;, Jarvis tells Moto Revue. &ldquo;But I accepted his decision, because I&rsquo;m not in favour of forcing people to stay if they want to go. If someone&rsquo;s not happy, they should go and do something else&rdquo;. Then came the Styrian GP, when Maverick purposely over-revved the engine of his M1. "Frustration and anger led him to behave in way that is unacceptable for a professional&rdquo;, continues Jarvis. "We had no choice but to suspend him, and that marked the end of our relationship". "Vi&ntilde;ales has the talent to win the world title, but I don&rsquo;t know if he has the mental strength. But it&rsquo;s not something we can change, and it&rsquo;s no longer our problem&rdquo;, concludes the manager. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Bagnaia at Juventus and his call with Quartararo...       

The Yamaha manager has spoken about the Spanish rider, now in Aprilia: &ldquo;His behaviour was unacceptable, the split was inevitable"

MotoGP, Jarvis on Viñales: “I don’t know if he has the mental strength to win”

        The Valencia weekend rounded out what has been a long 2021 season, one that has been largely positive for Aprilia (competing with team Gresini for the last time before it becomes a factory team next year). The manufacturer has often finished inside the top ten, demonstrating continuous growth and scoring a first podium. At the Ricardo Tormo track, Aleix Espargar&oacute; powered the RS-GP to a ninth-place finish after a solid race in which he only suffered a drop in performance in the final stages, while Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales, sixteenth, used the weekend to continue his learning with the Italian bike, ahead of a 2022 season in which he&rsquo;ll be aiming high. Aleix: "My best season with Aprilia"  Despite his ninth-place finish falling below expectations, Espargar&oacute; sees the glass half full: "At the beginning, when the tyre had grip, I felt good and made up quite a few positions. However, doing that took its toll on the tyres and they paid the price in the finale. The RS-GP gets harder to ride with low trip, so in the end I had to settle for a result which still gives me a good season finish. This is my best season with Aprilia. We finished ahead of riders who are extremely worthy adversaries and we know that we can do even better. This is our mindset as we prepare for 2022." Vi&ntilde;ales: "I&rsquo;m finding the right feeling"  Having only climbed aboard the Aprilia for the first time a few months ago, Maverick has used this final part of the championship to get to grips with the bike, so different from the Yamaha he was used to: "I'm able to be fast with Aprilia, doing good lap times, but I'm lacking the right feeling to be consistent throughout an entire weekend. We still achieved our goal, which was to get ready for 2022, identifying the areas we need to work on&rdquo;. &ldquo;We have an extremely clear idea as to what they are and that is what I'm most pleased about, because during the winter, the engineers will be able to use this data and the experience accumulated to make the new RS-GP more suited to my needs", concludes the Spanish rider. Translated by Heather Watson Valentino Rossi is named "MotoGP Legend&rdquo;       

The final race weekend of the year was not a simple one for the RS-GP, but Espargar&oacute; and Vi&ntilde;ales are nevertheless optimistic ahead of 2022

MotoGP Valencia: a disappointing season finale for the Aprilia riders

Among the many subjects up for discussion post-Misano is the solid performance put in by Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales. After sitting out the Austin round following the death of his cousin Dean Berta, the Spaniard was back on track and finished the Emilia-Romagna race in the top ten, scoring a precious eighth-place finish.  Vi&ntilde;ales: &ldquo;The setting was a gamble, but it paid off&rdquo;   A result that takes on even greater important considering the gap between him and Aleix Espargar&oacute;, sixth across the line but only one tenth ahead of Maverick. Results that spur Vi&ntilde;ales on, eighteenth in his debut race with the RS-GP at Aragon and thirteenth in Misano 1.  Last Sunday&rsquo;s result comes down to skillful work in the garage: &quot;I&rsquo;m pleased because before the race we made a big change to the bike&rsquo;s balance, it was a risk, but our aim is to try and get to know this bike increasingly well&rdquo;, explained Top Gun at the end of the race. &ldquo;And it really worked. I had a good rhythm right from the early stages. Having to catch up from a less than brilliant starting position prevented me from fighting for an even stronger result. I&rsquo;m very confident after what we&rsquo;ve seen here, step by step we&rsquo;re amalgamating the rider-team-bike package and this is fundamental&quot;.  &ldquo;We&rsquo;re starting to be competitive, particularly mid-race, and that&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re looking for right now. I want to thank the team for all their work&rdquo;.  The numbers     And Vi&ntilde;ales&rsquo; words are backed up by the numbers&hellip; From lap 18 to 27, the Spaniard ducked below 1&rsquo;33 four times, setting his fastest time (1&#39;32.533) on lap 20. This time was the fourth fastest overall, behind those of Bagnaia, Bastianini and Marquez. A rhythm that allowed Maverick, who started with a medium front tyre and a soft rear, to make up eleven positions. He started from nineteenth on the grid, but a better qualifying session would have clearly allowed him to aim for something more than just a top-ten finish.  The synergy of the bike-rider-tyre package, skilfully developed in the Noale garage, is starting to come. Confirming what we&rsquo;ve seen on the Riviera at both Portim&atilde;o and Valencia will be key as the team looks to 2022, a season that could prove very promising for the Vi&ntilde;ales-Aprilia pairing if they can find the right consistency.  Translated by Heather Watson  MotoGP 2022, Quartararo will not use the 1: &ldquo;20 my only number&rdquo; 

The Spaniard finished the Emilia-Romagna GP in eighth place, demonstrating good pace in the final stages: &ldquo;We&rsquo;re competitive&rdquo;, he comments. And the figures back this up

MotoGP: Vi&ntilde;ales-Aprilia, a pairing that&rsquo;s beginning to work

        There&rsquo;s no denying that all the attention is on Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales and the bike he&rsquo;s been riding in MotoGP free practice at Arag&oacute;n. Having parted ways with Yamaha, the Spaniard has found a new professional challenge in Aprilia and is competing with the bike for the first time at Motorland. Here&rsquo;s what he had to say after having placed nineteenth today: "I&rsquo;d say it&rsquo;s gone quite well, though it was difficult to lap with the same speed through every sector of the track. I messed up my time attack attempt but I - we - can do well. We saw interesting progress between the first and second sessions". Aleix Espargar&oacute; believes that "Top Gun" has worked well, on a track with little grip: "Sure, grip counts for a lot, but I&rsquo;ve been taking things more calmly here", he says, comparing today's approach to the recent Misano test. "It was easy to make mistakes and just as hard to improve the lap times. In testing, I did ten laps, put in fresh tyres, and did another ten. But today I improved after putting in two fresh tyres". Goals? None, only to learn  What&rsquo;s Maverick&rsquo;s pace like? He has an ideal time in mind: "Around 1.48, I think that&rsquo;s my race pace&rdquo;. And how does the Aprilia differ to the Yamaha? "I have to get used to the requirements of the RS-GP in braking, very different to those of the M1. The braking is so different, you can push harder on the lever, and I have to get used to that. Where you let the bike run, I&rsquo;m fast, but I need to improve my braking". And what are Vinny&rsquo;s goals for the Motorland weekend: "I have no aims, I just want to learn as much as possible and gain experience in the saddle. But if I continue like this, I can do well on Sunday". Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Vi&ntilde;ales and Aprilia together at last. What to expect?       

Maverick is making his debut with Aprilia: "I&rsquo;m not aiming for anything this weekend, only to build experience aboard the RS-GP, so different to the Yamaha in braking"

MotoGP Aragón, Viñales: “With respect to the Misano test, I'm calmer”

        Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales arriving in an Aprilia shirt was the strangest sight at Arag&oacute;n on Thursday. And during the press conference, it was the Spaniard who monopolised the attention of the journalists - how is he getting on with the RS-GP, what are his expectations, and more besides. Here are Maverick&rsquo;s answers. Vi&ntilde;ales: &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t wait to race&rdquo;  &ldquo;I&rsquo;m excited and highly motivated&rdquo;, starts the Spaniard, &ldquo;hungry too. There are six races left to go and this will be a way for me to prepare for next season. I have a lot to learn, and quickly. I&rsquo;ve been away for a while and now I&rsquo;m happy to be back and on the Aprilia, I feel in shape&rdquo;. &ldquo;This decision came as a relief&rdquo;  And what does he have to say about the RS-GP after an initial two-day test at Misano: &ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t yet had time to draw comparisons or really adapt well to the bike. I made as many laps as possible to understand how the RS-GP behaves&rdquo;. Between leaving Yamaha and coming to Aprilia, how difficult has this period been, mentally-speaking? &ldquo;I can say that this decision has come as a relief, I was stuck and needed to move forward and improve. This was the right opportunity, they asked me to complete a test and I got on well. Right now, it&rsquo;s important to build experience and adapt as well as possible to the bike&rdquo;. &ldquo;Important to have Espargar&oacute; beside me&rdquo;  Both Aleix Espargar&oacute; and Vi&ntilde;ales have never hidden the fact they are friends, despite previously racing for two different manufacturers, so how important has Aleix been in terms of Maverick&rsquo;s final decision? &ldquo;He didn&rsquo;t need to convince me, but I trust him and he knows the bike so it&rsquo;s been important to have him here with me. Rather than convincing me, we&rsquo;ve talked about what we can do together&rdquo;. Lastly, with regard to the Yamaha split: &ldquo;Things moved very quickly, but I don&rsquo;t want to talk about them, I&rsquo;m here to improve with Aprilia, the tests went well and I can&rsquo;t wait to race at Aragon. I&rsquo;m excited and can&rsquo;t wait to get out for practice tomorrow&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson Moto2 GP Aragon, Fern&aacute;ndez injures his right hand       

The Spaniard cannot wait to begin his first race weekend aboard the RS-GP: &ldquo;This decision came as a relief for me, I was stuck and needed to move forward&rdquo;

MotoGP Aragon, Viñales: “I’ll be out on track to prepare for 2022”

        After its historic podium at Silverstone, Aprilia comes to Arag&oacute;n on the wings of excitement and now the Noale team wants to consolidate the progress shown by the RS-GP at a track that has often showcased the talents of Aleix Espargar&oacute;. Espargar&oacute;: "I adore this track"  "I really like the Arag&oacute;n track, I always get on well regardless of the conditions&rdquo;, admits the Spaniard. &ldquo;This year we head there with a particular spirit, that's for sure, after such an important result and with high expectations&rdquo;. But #41 is keeping his guard up: &ldquo;We need to stay focused and continue to work race by race. We know we can fight for the top positions, the Silverstone podium has simply confirmed this.&rdquo; Vi&ntilde;ales: "An important opportunity"  While Espargar&oacute; is key to the Noale project, all eyes will be on this weekend&rsquo;s &lsquo;new-entry&rsquo;, or rather Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales. The former Yamaha rider has left his problems behind and has already proved competitive aboard the Aprilia during a first test at Misano. "I can&rsquo;t wait to be back on track. The chance to get straight out there is important, particularly in terms of preparing for the 2022 season&rdquo;, comments Maverick. He knows this debut appearance won&rsquo;t be easy, but what matters is clocking up the miles ahead of next season: &ldquo;I might not be 100% ready, after just two days of testing, but riding with the others and competing against Aleix, who is doing great things, will help me to improve my feeling with RS-GP&rdquo;. Vi&ntilde;ales is clearly excited: &ldquo;The Aprilia guys are motivated, I can sense the enthusiasm and desire to grow, and that spurs me on to get straight out there". Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Vi&ntilde;ales and Aprilia together at last. What to expect?       

His Yamaha experience forgotten, the Spaniard prepares for his debut race aboard the Italian bike. He will be flanked by Aleix Espargar&oacute;, the third-place finisher at the British GP

MotoGP, Viñales: “I won’t be in top shape at Aragón, but I can’t wait”

        The Arag&oacute;n track will be the stage on which Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales and Aprilia make their debut appearance in a race, and there is inevitably a great deal of interest. The only test they have completed together to date proved extremely positive and after just a day&rsquo;s work, it was immediately announced that the Spaniard will compete in the last six championship races wearing Aprilia colours. This all comes at what is an extremely positive moment for Aprilia, which has scored its first MotoGP podium with Aleix Espargar&oacute;, and on the wave of: &ldquo;This is just the beginning&rdquo;.&nbsp; Will he be immediately fast?  The Spaniard was extremely enthusiastic in the garage at Misano, his joy palpable. And now things start to get serious. So what can we expect from this new pairing? The RS-GP is clearly competitive, as proved by Aleix Espargar&oacute; at Silverstone, but Vi&ntilde;ales still has a lot to discover, study, learn and improve. While the Spaniard is in his fifth season with Aprilia, the 26-year old&rsquo;s journey starts now, but he has everything he needs and the aim is start out on the right foot. Will he succeed? Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP: track training for Iannone with the Aprilia RSV4       

The Spaniard will compete in his first GP with the Noale manufacturer, riding the RS-GP after an initial test that went according to plan

MotoGP, Viñales and Aprilia together at last. What to expect?

        Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales and Aprilia Racing have decided to speed things along. First, a two-day test at Misano which is taking place right now, and then the decision to field the rider already in the Arag&oacute;n race, the next MotoGP round. And just as Aprilia Racing is very enthusiastic, the Spaniard also cannot wait to start a new chapter in his career. Vi&ntilde;ales: &ldquo;Good feeling right away&rdquo;  And seeing as Maverick is currently at Misano, Sky Sport MotoGP has taken the opportunity to interview him: &ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t normal for me to be at home - says Vi&ntilde;ales - I&rsquo;ve been able to train and relax. I&rsquo;m very happy about this opportunity, and this two-day test&rdquo;. And speaking of the test, how has this first outing with the RS-GP been? &ldquo;A bit like the first day of school &ndash; he continues &ndash; I was up at 5 and couldn&rsquo;t wait to get on track. I immediately had good feeling with the bike. There&rsquo;s a very positive energy in the garage&rdquo;. Very different to Yamaha  Maverick must now face his first race as a factory Aprilia rider: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m really pumped for Arag&oacute;n. Although I still have to improve a lot, I&rsquo;m far from being able to push to the max. The bike and engine are different and I have to understand how to ride it, but the riders&rsquo; work is incredible and the level is very high. There&rsquo;s a difference, but we can improve a lot in a short space of time. I hadn&rsquo;t had fun on a bike for a long time, now my goal is to re-find that passion with the team. It won&rsquo;t be easy at Arag&oacute;n but we&rsquo;re on the right path. I can see a real difference compared to the Yamaha, the bike&rsquo;s style and characteristics are very different. I particularly liked the engine brake, this is extremely positive&rdquo;. A real friendship with Aleix  Lastly, the Spaniard talks about his strong relationship with new team-mate Aleix Espargar&oacute;: &ldquo;We speak often, we&rsquo;re friends. And when things weren&rsquo;t working out, he tried to understand what was going on with me, he protected me from the media and has always pushed me to come to Aprilia. I don&rsquo;t know if another rider would have done the same for me. Aleix is like a brother as well as a great rider, and this will be important during my adventure with Aprilia&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Aleix Espargar&oacute; and his touching dedication to the Aprilia team       

The Spaniard, who will become a part of the Aprilia team to all effects when he competes at Arag&oacute;n as a factory rider, is enthusiastic about this new adventure: &ldquo;I immediately had good feeling, there&rsquo;s a very positive energy in the garage&rdquo;

MotoGP, Viñales admits: “I hadn’t had fun on a bike for a long time”

        It&rsquo;s now official and we can confirm that&nbsp;Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales&rsquo; first race in Aprilia colours will be at Arag&oacute;n. The Spaniard, positively impressed by the RS-GP during his first outing at Misano, will flank Aleix Espargar&oacute; during the Spanish round. Lorenzo Savadori therefore bids farewell to a permanent seat on the team. The Italian will continue on as test rider in 2022, and will compete as a wildcard in certain events this year, the rounds to be decided once he returns following the injury he sustained during the Styria GP. Rivola and Albesiano agree: "Looking to the future with optimism"  &ldquo;We are extremely proud to be able to announce our plans for the current season and for 2022 with the goal of optimising the contributions of our three riders to the utmost&rdquo;, comments Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola. &ldquo;Alongside our confirmed rider, Aleix, it is our pleasure to welcome a talented athlete like Maverick to the Aprilia Racing team, who demonstrated a great feeling with the team and the bike straight away and who I am confident will be able to give his best as early as the Arag&oacute;n GP. At the same time, we are also confirming Lorenzo&rsquo;s role as 2022 test rider. This is a fundamental position that rewards the great efforts he has demonstrated in developing the new RS-GP, whereas he will finish out the 2021 season taking advantage of the wild cards that we&rsquo;ll decide on together as soon as he is back to 100% fitness.&rdquo; Technical director Romano Albesiano adds: &ldquo;The decision to have Maverick on the track from Arag&oacute;n is a direct result of the tests done in Misano. It was not a given that, after a career spent up to now on a bike with an in-line engine, Maverick would have a good feeling with our V4 straight away. This is why the test on this track, historically not an easy one for our bike, was an important moment of assessment. Therefore, we are satisfied with Maverick&rsquo;s immediately positive reactions, which demonstrated a good feeling both with the RS-GP and with the team and our work method. His and Aleix&rsquo;s talent, combined with the experience Lorenzo has gained this season, make us optimistic about the future of our MotoGP project.&rdquo; Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Aleix Espargar&oacute; and his touching dedication to the Aprilia team       

They are not wasting an time in Noale, the former Yamaha rider set to compete at the next GP on 12 September, replacing Lorenzo Savadori, who will wildcard in certain races

MotoGP, official: Maverick Viñales to race with Aprilia as of Aragón

        Like Aleix Espargar&oacute;, Massimo Rivola can&rsquo;t wait to see the #12 rider at work during testing at Misano next week, as the Spaniard moves to Aprilia from Yamaha. Could the test serve as a prelude to a possible race at Arag&oacute;n? It will all depend on the rider and whether he wants to immediately take to the track with his new team. Speaking to Sky, the Aprilia CEO touched on the Misano test and his expectations regarding the Spanish rider. Rivola: &ldquo;The aim is to set up the bike to suit him as well as possible&rdquo;  Massimo Rivola is keen to see Vi&ntilde;ales on track and work with him and the test team, to prepare the RS-GP21 effectively, also ahead of next season, when the Spaniard&rsquo;s contract with Aprilia officially begins: &ldquo;If we can get ahead with a view to 2022, every suggestion he can make is more than welcome. Our aim is to set up the bike to suit him as well as possible. We&rsquo;ll do the test and see how it goes. We don&rsquo;t want to rush and have him straight on track for a race, but we do want to have him race this year, as soon as he feels ready&rdquo;, he explains. Rivola doesn&rsquo;t rule out the possibility of an appearance already at Aragon: &ldquo;It might be an option, we&rsquo;ll see how Tuesday&rsquo;s test at Misano goes first&rdquo;. &ldquo;The human side will be very important&rdquo;  As for rider &lsquo;management&rsquo; the Aprilia CEO adds &ldquo;The most important thing is to get to know Vi&ntilde;ales and understand what he needs to feel comfortable. We each have our own equilibrium and you need to find that equilibrium to feel good. Something Espargar&oacute; has found for example. We need to get to know him and try to set everything up to suit him, from the bike to the team, to the family. The bike has to be competitive of course, we need to find horsepower etc. For such a talented rider, management in human terms will be very important&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Petrucci: &ldquo;No valid SBK offer, I'll do the Dakar&rdquo;       

&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll use the Misano test to set up the bike to suit him&rdquo; says the Aprilia CEO ahead of the Spaniard&rsquo;s imminent outing with the RS-GP

MotoGP, Rivola: “Viñales? The aim is to have him race as soon as he's ready”

        The rumours that were circulating last week are now confirmed, and it is the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli that will be the stage for initial contact between Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales and Aprilia during a two-day test on 31 August-1 September. This will allow the former Yamaha rider to build confidence with the RS-GP, ahead of a possible wildcard appearance&nbsp; already this season. Albesiano: "Welcoming Maverick is a pleasure"  "From a technical standpoint, it&rsquo;s always fascinating to hear the impressions of a rider who gets on your bike for the first time&rdquo;, comments an enthusiastic Romano Albesiano, technical director at Aprilia Racing. "Especially a champion like Maverick, whom we have the pleasure of welcoming to the Aprilia Racing family. After the great work that the race department has done over the last two years, we now add another piece to the growth path that we continue to travel along with encouraging results&rdquo;. Albesiano knows that it will take a little time for the Spaniard to adapt: &ldquo;This initial approach involves a very practical adaptation phase, both in terms of ergonomics and personal rider preferences. But I&rsquo;m sure that Maverick&rsquo;s talent and speed will emerge and I can&rsquo;t wait to start working together&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Yamaha's moves as of Arag&oacute;n: Morbidelli-official, Dovizioso-Petronas       

As rumoured, the Spaniard will test the Noale bike during testing at the Italian track on 31 August and 1 September

MotoGP, official: Maverick Viñales will test the Aprilia at Misano

        Ducati started the trend last autumn, when it made a double rider change &ndash; Jack Miller and Pecco Bagnaia in, Andrea Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci out. A move that appears to be paying off, with both former Pramac riders in the top five in the general standings, while Petrucci finished twelfth last year. Since debuting in MotoGP in 2003, the Borgo Panigale factory team had never taken such a revolutionary decision. In fact, they&rsquo;d never swapped both riders in a 12-month period, something that Yamaha is now about to do. With Rossi having left the factory team last year, it will soon be the turn of Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales, frustrated with the varying performance of a bike with which he has experienced both joy (eight wins and thirteen poles) and pain: sixth overall in 2020 with just three podiums in fourteen races, fourth in 2018 and third in both 2017 and 2019, without ever exceeding 230 points, too few for a rider wanting to fight for the title. Not a change that the Japanese manufacturer makes lightly, having long preferred continuity, perhaps fearful of a return to the disappointing results of the 1994-2003 period. In those years, Yamaha won just 21 races compared to 115 for Honda, the latter scoring nine constructor&rsquo;s and rider&rsquo;s titles. 2000 was the exception, a season in which Kenny Roberts Jr won with the Suzuki. Rossi and Lorenzo, "loyal&rdquo; to Yamaha  But when it came across two riders who were able to win race after race and world titles too, Yamaha did all it could to keep them. Valentino Rossi remained faithful to the factory team for 15 years, despite a Ducati interlude, while Jorge Lorenzo stayed for nine consecutive seasons. And it&rsquo;s no coincidence that they are the manufacturer&rsquo;s two most successful riders of all time: 56 wins for the Doctor, 44 for the Majorcan, and all in MotoGP. And many of their team-mates were also able to demonstrate their worth over more than one season &ndash; three for Carlos Checa (2002-2004), following a further three with the Marlboro Yamaha 500, three for Colin Edwards (2005-2007 before moving to Yamaha-Tech 3) and two for Ben Spies (2011-2012). Honda has also favoured continuity in MotoGP, having never changed both its riders in the space of two years. Nicky Hayden stayed for six and scored the title in 2006, beating the very man who had been his team-mate in 2003, before Rossi moved to Yamaha together with Jeremy Burgess. In the season in which the American beat Valentino, he was paired with Dani Pedrosa (who beat Nicky at the penultimate Estoril round), who was then reconfirmed until 2018, despite the Spaniard having never achieved the title. This was considered something of a sin, but then those who came after him, first Lorenzo, then Alex Marquez, Stefan Bradl and Pol Espargar&oacute;, have only scored two podiums combined. Small change compared to the 31 wins and 112 podiums Pedrosa clocked up, the rider only failing to win a race in the last of his thirteen years with Honda. Suzuki  Suzuki has been less conservative, partly due to the fact it has less financial resources with which to attract and retain the best riders, and also because it has scored fewer results. When it started out in MotoGP, it retained the Kenny Roberts Jr - John Hopkins pairing for three years. The latter remained for two more years, alongside Chris Vermeulen, who was reconfirmed in 2008 and joined by Loris Capirossi. When Suzuki returned to the track in 2015 following a three-year sabbatical, it hired Aleix Espargar&oacute; and Vi&ntilde;ales but the latter chose to move to Yamaha in 2017, while the other Spaniard was let go in favour of Andrea Iannone and Alex Rins. This pairing also changed two years later, when Joan Mir was brought in to replace the Italian. And consider how, just as it reached the top of the world, the Hamamatsu manufacturer confirmed both riders, affirming the old adage: never change a winning team. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP Austria, a bitter Sunday for Bastianini: &ldquo;I'm speechless&rdquo;       

With Vi&ntilde;ales leaving at the end of the season, Yamaha will change its factory line-up for the second consecutive year for the first time since the arrival of Rossi. A Suzuki-style move

MotoGP: Yamaha, goodbye continuity

        After a long wait, Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales has now signed an agreement with Aprilia. The Noale manufacturer, which will race as a factory team in MotoGP next year, has confirmed the hiring of the Spaniard, who will flank Aleix Espargar&oacute; next season, for a return to the old Suzuki line-up. The Spaniard&rsquo;s move to Aprilia was already rumoured by Spanish DAZN commentator Ricard Jov&eacute; on 27 June. The official Aprilia press release reads: &ldquo;It is with great pleasure that Aprilia welcomes Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales to the Aprilia Racing factory team. This completes the official team for the 2022 MotoGP season, with Maverick coming alongside Aleix Espargar&oacute; astride the RS-GP. The Spanish rider has signed an annual contract with an option for renewal. The signing of Vi&ntilde;ales is another step in the Italian team's growth and development strategy, which comes just in the year of the transition to a factory team. Two events that testify to Aprilia's desire to continue to grow in the top category of world motorcycling&rdquo;. In the words of Massimo Rivola, Aprilia CEO  The agreement now finalised, Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola comments: &ldquo;We are extremely happy to announce that we have signed Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales, a very high-level rider and one of the purest talents in the premier category. Our project has now been enriched with the value that Maverick brings - a World Champion who has confirmed his talent as a top rider in MotoGP - at a time of great change, after bringing a completely revamped bike to the track and having consistently established ourselves in the group of protagonists, we are also facing a switch in status as a Factory Team now, in order to take Aprilia to success. We are honoured to be able to make all of our best skills available to Vi&ntilde;ales along with our enthusiasm and our passion. I am confident that, like Aleix, he will embrace this extremely high-potential project. The arrival of Maverick in no way distances Lorenzo Savadori from the team, as he will remain an integral part of the Aprilia Racing family.&rdquo; Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP Austria, Rossi: &ldquo;Vi&ntilde;ales actions? Bad, but not extreme&rdquo;       

The Spaniard will be back alongside fellow countryman Aleix Espargar&oacute;, just as he was in the early years with Suzuki. A one year contract, with an option to renew for a second &nbsp;

MotoGP, official: Maverick Viñales to Aprilia in 2022

There&rsquo;s a lot to discuss with Valentino Rossi at the end of the second Friday at the Red Bull Ring, in reference to past, present and future. The (recent) past regards Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales, and the videos online that confirm his less than orthodox actions during the Styria GP. Actions that are difficult to judge, although Rossi offers an opinion.  &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve seen a video, and to be honest I expected worse. I don&rsquo;t know if he did more than I saw, it&rsquo;s definitely a bad thing, but perhaps not that extreme. I think this was a case of the straw breaking the camel&rsquo;s back but it&rsquo;s hard to say without knowing everything&rdquo;.  As for the present, Valentino talks about today&rsquo;s practices.  &ldquo;Things didn&rsquo;t go badly in FP1, as the track was in good condition and I could prepare for the race, obtaining useful data and lapping quite fast. In FP2 conditions were strange, as it had rained a lot but stayed hot, so the track dried out fast. I was quick in the wet, but really struggled in intermediate conditions, losing a lot in acceleration, so I hope Sunday&rsquo;s race is either fully dry or fully wet&rdquo;.  Rossi: &ldquo;Coming back as a wildcard? Never say never&rdquo;   The future chapter has various paragraphs. The first regards Valentino himself, and a possible return (one day) as a wildcard, like Pedrosa and Crutchlow.  &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve learned to think &ldquo;never say never&rdquo; during my career, but I think it would be difficult, although I&rsquo;ll definitely miss riding a MotoGP. If I were to do it, I&rsquo;d choose one of my favourite tracks like Assen, Misano, Barcelona or Mugello. Pedrosa and Cal (Crutchlow) have come back, but they&rsquo;re younger than me&rdquo;, he laughs.  The second relates to the future of the SRT team, close to a revolution following the rumoured departure of Petronas.  &ldquo;I know nothing about ut, and the atmosphere in the team is relaxed, but we&rsquo;ll probably know something soon. It&rsquo;s a pity because Petronas is an important sponsor, and if&nbsp;a team like this is forced to close two structures it&rsquo;s a defeat for the whole championship, so I hope things work out for the best&rdquo;.  Lastly, there&rsquo;s the development of the VR46 team and the series of statements and doubts regarding the commitment of Tanal and Prince Al Sa&rsquo;ud.  &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know the latest developments, but I hope everything&rsquo;s fine of course. We&rsquo;ll have news in the coming weeks, but I&rsquo;m not the right person to ask. Worried? They&#39;ve given us reassurances, so I tend to trust in the people I&rsquo;ve spoken with&rdquo;.  Translated by Heather Watson  MotoGP: the videos that prove Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales &lsquo;guilty&rsquo; 

&quot;I don&rsquo;t know if I&rsquo;ve seen it all, and it&rsquo;s difficult to say without knowing all the background. My team? We&rsquo;ve been reassured and I have faith. FP1 good, FP2 in mixed conditions a disaster&rdquo;

43 risultati per 'En Maverick Vinales'