Maverick Vinales was aiming for the first row at Le Mans, but had to be content with the second. Qualifying was certainly not easy for the Yamaha rider, who will start from fifth position on Sunday between Crutchlow’s Honda and Dovizioso’s Ducati.
He will then probably contest the GP with a cutlass between his teeth.
“I’ve been struggling since FP4,” Maverick began. “I encountered some strange conditions on the track that had a significant impactThe bike moved a lot and I couldn’t show my full potential. This has never happened to Yamaha to this day. And if I can’t drive cleanly, I can’t drive fast. “
So Maverick ended up in the same starting position as in Montmelò.
“I’m in the same situation as in Barcelona with the Ducati. Let’s hope we don’t repeat the same race. We have to persevere. I think we can do well and I want to stay confident. “
Maverick then went into detail about the problems.
“Unfortunately I have problems with grip this weekend when I lean on my bike. I’m really struggling because the M1 is sliding more than it should. As I said, the sensations aren’t that great, so I couldn’t give everything on the flying lap. I need more stability tomorrow morning, even if my pace is not bad. “
And he talked about the tires.
“I think a lot of drivers are in the same situation as me when it comes to the choice of tires, even if I have the feeling that we will use the soft ones. Unfortunately, here at Le Mans it is difficult to have the same level of confidence as in previous years. “
But Maverick tries to keep his spirits up despite the difficulties.
“We worked a lot and I think we made some changes to the bike too. But unfortunately I don’t have the necessary grip. Tomorrow morning we have to do something with a view to the race to solve the problems. “