The eccentric (but unreliable?) MotoGP rider who is “equally the most talented”
“It all has to run smoothly for him to get the result that he has the ability to do..."
Maverick Vinales frequently lives up to his name - brilliant at his best, but the good days are too fleeting.
The veteran Spaniard is entering his 10th season of MotoGP in 2024 with this weekend’s Qatar opener.
And his Aprilia impressed during preseason testing and could yet be Ducati’s closest challenger in the early weeks of the season.
“Maverick? The problem is - as much as I love Maverick - you never know,” broadcaster Simon Crafar analysed.
“He is super fast, probably equally the most talented rider in the class.
“But you just don’t know what’s going to happen.
“It all has to run smoothly for him to get the result that he has the ability to do.
“I hope he does, I really do!”
Last year Vinales secured three podium finishes including at the Portimao season-opener.
But this year, in Qatar, his teammate Aleix Espargaro might have the advantage.
“This is one of Aleix’s favourite circuits,” Crafar assessed.
“He said that he’s riding the best of his life, and he’s got the best machine that he’s ever ridden, the ‘24 Aprilia.
“He said all that’s missing is a bit of torque, engine power.
“Everything is there. They’ve got the grip. But it doesn’t punch hard enough.
“They are already making big numbers with that engine. But he’s clearly hoping that the engine they turned up to the first race with, he’s hoping it has more torque.
“I think he will be a real threat all weekend.”
Davide Brivio, the new team principal at Trackhouse, insists Aprilia are a team to watch at the Qatar MotoGP.
"I think Aprilia is in a great spot to be a challenger of Ducati, together with KTM," Brivio tipped.
"So that's also very exciting, to try to challenge the stronger guys, that are dominating. That's why it's good to be with Aprilia at this moment.
“With the 2024 bike, there's been a lot of work on the aerodynamics. Actually, from what I could see, Aprilia has been copied by the others. So that's great! It's already a good achievement if you like.
“So I think with Aprilia we are in a position to be a serious challenger. Of course, it took Ducati many years to be in this position. And so hopefully Aprilia is going along the same pathway, without underestimating the others [like] KTM.”
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
