Maverick Vinales outlines criteria for “successful” Sepang MotoGP test
Three days of adapting to KTM in Malaysia coming up for Vinales
Maverick Vinales says a “successful” Sepang pre-season MotoGP test on the KTM will see him “understand the limit of the bike” rather than anything performance-related.
The 10-time grand prix winner has signed for KTM to race for the Tech3 satellite squad in 2025, following three and a half year with Aprilia’s works team.
While enjoying a positive first test on the RC16 last November in Barcelona, Vinales says he isn’t coming to Sepang this week with any performance goals in mind.
“I will be busy with myself, to be honest,” he said.
“It’s a lot of work to do, adapting to a new bike.
“It’s always interesting, so I want to enjoy a lot the process of adapting. We’ll see, but very curious to see the feeling on a different track like Sepang.
“For me, a successful test will be to understand the limit of the bike, to understand what happens when I’m on a time attack, what happens in race mode, what happens when I try to follow someone.
“To solve all these questions will be a key for me to have a successful test.
“Obviously I don’t know the bike enough to say ‘this is better, this is not better’.
“You can feel it and you can tell. But my target is to answer all these questions I have on my mind.”
Satellite hope for Maverick Vinales in 2025 MotoGP
This year is Vinales’ first in MotoGP riding for a satellite squad, albeit one that is more closely aligned with the factory - with all four KTMs running a unified livery in 2025.
With Pramac winning the championship last year with Jorge Martin, Vinales doesn’t see moving to a satellite team as being a negative.
“I think the ambience is good,” he added.
“We all work - and this is the feeling I have - for one mission, and this is very important.
“Last year the championship was decided by a satellite team, so I don’t think right now it’s a question.
“Maybe in the previous years, yes, in another era. But now the bikes are fully equal, all the same.
“The feeling with the team is good and positive, so probably this will work really good.
“And this is the most important thing right now, to keep it simple and work in a good way.
“At the end, the support is there from the factory also. Technically, it looks like that, but when I go inside it doesn’t look like this.”
Quotes provided by Crash MotoGP Editor Peter McLaren
