Maverick Vinales discovers difference between 'A' and 'B' Aprilias

Maverick Vinales not only left Monday's Jerez MotoGP test with the second-fastest lap time but discovered what was causing a performance difference between his two Aprilia RS-GPs.

The Spaniard, winner of three out of the previous four races heading into his home Jerez round, explained that he had felt a difference with his ‘B’ machine in Austin, which was put down to a front brake problem.

Vinales went on to win the Austin Sprint and Grand Prix on his other (‘A’) bike, which he also briefly put into third place in the Jerez Sprint, before joining the list of fallers caught out by damp patches.

As a precaution, Vinales then switched back to the B bike for the grand prix, but only finished ninth.

“We need to understand why it did not work that good on Sunday because the rest of the weekend we were very competitive,” Vinales said. “We needed to understand between bike A and bike B what is happening.

“There is a difference between the A and B bikes and, unfortunately, I raced with the bike I felt I was not competitive [B]... I crashed with bike A on Saturday, so to be safe we went with bike B.

“I said in Austin that I was struggling to stop with bike B but we related it to a front brake problem and in the end it is not a front brake problem.

“Today [at the test] we discovered more or less what it is and now [both bikes] are working similarly; this is a huge step for the future because this was a race where I could be much faster.

“We have to be alert and this helps the team to be better.”

Vinales also tried different rear seat aero on Monday but “didn’t find any positive, so I will keep the standard.”

Nonetheless, with the reason for his poor Sunday result apparently explained, “I cannot wait to be in Le Mans.”

Vinales is fifth in the world championship, 29 points behind Pramac Ducati leader Jorge Martin.