Qualifying “still complicated” on Aprilia MotoGP motorcycle

Vinales was strong all weekend in Misano after testing the Aprilia for the first time in Italy prior to its debut at Aragon last week.

Vinales finished Friday fastest of all and went straight into Q2 and qualified 10th in the RS-GP, 1.056 seconds behind pole, but only 0.184 behind eighth-placed team-mate Aleix Espargaro.

Vinales says a combination of the need to still understand the bike and a change in brainpower from morning to afternoon contributed to his being unable to hit 1:31 minutes in Q2.

“Yes, I was hoping to be a bit faster, especially in 1:31 minutes, but somehow I wasn’t able to,” Vinales said when asked by Motorsport.com whether he was disappointed Stand starting grid. “It’s true, I still have to learn the bike to be fast on one lap because I lose a lot, especially when I accelerate.

“But it’s also something we need to fix because the bike feel has changed a bit from FP3 to FP4, so we need to check now. I have to learn to ride a bike. Especially when the grip isn’t that great, I need to understand how to go faster.

“You have to drive very differently on one lap and that’s still complicated for me. But we will continue to work, this weekend we are much, much closer than the other weekend. So that’s actually the positive point.

“We’re happy, we learn a lot, we try out different bikes, which always gives us different feedback. And I think we will get closer and closer step by step. “

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Maverick Vinales, Aprilia Racing Team Gresini

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

The MotoGP paddock will stay in Misano this week on Tuesday and Wednesday for a two-day test.

When asked if this weekend is important for him to find a direction in the test, Vinales added: “Every session is a test, every session. So, we try, the team is starting to understand me, I’m starting to understand the bike a little more, which is what I need to be fast.

“The tricky part of this job is understanding how to go fast, so I think I am looking in the wrong place for lap times right now. I have to learn that everything gets more difficult even in the time attack.

“Everyone is very fast, try it, right now I’m making a lot of mistakes in one lap. So I’m not too worried. We have to keep learning in order to keep working.

“That’s our point, and that’s good because the more I fight now, the better I’ll be later.”