“The old” Maverick Vinales who “got bullied, threw in the towel” has disappeared
“There was so much hunger, so much determination, so much perseverance - which has been questioned of him by some in the paddock"
Maverick Vinales has received a wave of praise for the disappearing act of the former version of himself, who was criticised for conceding defeat too easily.
Vinales became the first rider in MotoGP to win grands prix for three manufacturers at the Circuit of the Americas at the weekend.
His feat was made more impressive because he sunk from pole position to 11th in the first sector, before battling back to claim a brilliant victory.
“It was just one of those classic races, we’ll talk about it in years to come,” Neil Hodgson told TNT Sport.
“The way Maverick came back from that poor start!
“I saw him at Turn 1 in 11th and I thought: ‘He’s done’.
“What a ride!
“The initial start, he let the clutch out, it’s not great.
“At that point, you know it’s not great, so you have to go defensive instantly.
“Go towards the apex. It’s a bit dirty, you’re trying to cut off your rivals.
“He did the opposite. He just sat there like a sitting duck.
“He invited the pass. He got bullied, pushed out of the way, and that’s why he dropped back.
“I thought his race was over. But he didn’t panic. He trusted himself, and he picked them off.
“The passes that didn’t stick? The old Maverick would have got frustrated.
“He’d have made a few mistakes and finished eighth.
“He just stayed calm. The bike looked outstanding.
“The setting he had, his bike could out-brake people. But he could turn. Normally if your bike is set to brake late, you lose a bit in turning, but he had a bizarre, weird balance.”
Michael Laverty replied: “Normally it’s a compromise. Either stopping and stability, or turning. But he had it all, in abundance.”
Dorna broadcaster Louis Suddaby analysed: “Many, many times Vinales wouldn’t have come back from that.”
Jack Appleyard replied to him: “In yesteryear, maybe Maverick would have thrown in the towel and said ‘it’s not my day, how am I going to come back from 11th on the grid?’
“There was so much hunger, so much determination, so much perseverance - which has been questioned of him by some in the paddock and in the media.
“He silenced those critics.”
Vinales’ victory in Texas came 24 hours after he also took sprint race glory.
The Aprilia man has won two sprints in a row, after victory in Portimao too.
Aprilia boss Massimo Rivola has hailed the machinery as fastest at all three MotoGP rounds of 2024 so far.
And Vinales is now impressing, in his 10th premier class season, with a newfound attitude and confidence to add to his undoubted talent.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
