Twelve races back, six left (save for calendar changes) but in some ways the championship is like a fresh start for Aragon. Not as far as the title is concerned, because Quartararo has such a lead in the overall standings that he only has to think about coping with the situation as best as possible, apart from the many changes in the starting line-up. Vinales’ early departure from Yamaha has indeed sparked a chain reaction, the first effects of which can be seen in Spain and will continue in Misano next week.
After a few days of testing, Maverick is actually ready to get on the Aprilia in MotorLand. while in Italy we will see Morbidelli on the factory team’s M1 and Dovizioso on the one in Petronas colors (which he will inherit from Franco).
With so much meat on the Barbie, let’s take a step-by-step look at things, starting with Aragon. It can be said that Vinales will enter the RS-GP at the best possible moment, or maybe even at the worst: after the first podium in the MotoGP of the Italian motorcycle with Aleix Espargarò at Silverstone. It all depends on which side of the coin you want to look at.
The best, because the RS-GP is no longer the Cinderella of the paddock, but a competitive and consistent bike. It is thanks to the men from Noale, led by Romano Albesiano, that they made the best possible use of the concessions and were able to develop their motorcycles despite so many difficulties. Last year Covid slowed down work, losing Iannone was another problem and in the end they only found each other with Aleix and Savadori who did well to take on the challenge but with all the limits of an absolute rookie, not only in MotoGP, but also at the World Cup. With Dovizioso taking on the role of “interim” tester, things have improved, but in the end it is not possible to compare Aprilia to the competition in terms of resources (economic and human).
A podium doesn’t make a summer but it pays off for a job well done and boosts morale, just like the arrival of Vinales, the top Aprilia driver who has been missing for a long time and found almost by accident, but you can ‘ I can’t blame luck for that. So Top Gun can’t wait to rebuild his career in Veneto and his motivation is certainly of the highest level, like the desire for revenge on Yamaha, guilty of failing to understand and support him … in his opinion.
Everything will be brand new to Maverick: he has never ridden the RS-GP and has never (apart from the two days of testing mentioned) ridden a V4 motorbike, so this last remnant of 2021 is nothing more than one long preparation for 2022.
So far everything is positive, but the downside is always there, because While nobody really expects anything from Vinales in those first few races, the real thought is what a rider of his caliber can do on this motorcycle. Espargarò has all the merits for that first podium, but he doesn’t have the champion’s résumé and Maverick can boast despite all the ups and downs he’s been through in recent years. Leaving all the numbers aside, the Figueres rider has always won at least one MotoGP race per season from 2016 and he will do that on Aprilia too.
If this podium hadn’t been reached yet, the pressure would have been less, but now everyone is just asking one question: If Espargarò finishes third at the RS-GP, will Vinales be able to win? A simple question and in some ways wrong, but exercise is not just about arguments.
The most important thing is that Maverick enjoys his job and finds the smile on the bike again, then the results come. However, this does not rule out that all eyes are on him and he must be careful not to be distracted from his true goal.