Marco Bezzecchi
It didn’t take long for Maverick Vinales to potentially prove that switching from an Aprilia bike to a KTM may have been a good move for him.
An experimental pre-season saw him matching new teammate Enea Bastianini at some stages before flying ahead of him at others.
Tech3 will be pleased that he managed to squeeze into the top 10 on the final day of MotoGP’s Buriram test, just three-quarters of a second away from top dog Marc Marquez.
Vinales spent three years with the factory Aprilia outfit before making the move to join the satellite team of their rivals (KTM).
Vinales was left ‘overwhelmed’ by Tech3’s bike after his KTM switch in a positive manner. He was positive within his new environment before doing much running.
Part of that may have been down to Vinales and Bastianini being ‘very clearly’ told by KTM that they will have complete parity with the factory team in 2025.
Maverick Vinales proved in ‘many ways’ that his KTM move from Aprilia was correct
Even after having five days of running to get up to speed on his new bike, Bastianini still found himself a few tenths short after the conclusion of running in Thailand.
It had been a different tale on day one before they started pushing the limits of their bikes, with Vinales four-tenths behind on day one.
The final day of the first pre-season test at Sepang told a similar story though, with the Spaniard just a few tenths ahead of his teammate after the day’s running.
READ MORE: Maverick Vinales issues one-word reaction to divisive Tech3 livery for 2025 MotoGP season
The Race’s Valentin Khorounzhiy seems to think that the new bike has already proven that it suits Vinales better than the Aprilia in ‘many ways’.
“Some of the testing days, Maverick Vinales has looked more or less at the same pace as teammate Enea Bastianini, other days, he has actually looked a fair bit clear.
“I suspect the truth is probably somewhere in the middle. He has been more happy vocally than Bastianini. You hear Vinales talk the KTM, and the suggestion is that in many ways, it’s a bike that suits him a lot better than the Aprilia suits his natural style, but it’s just a question of time.”
Why Pedro Acosta will be worried about KTM’s plan for Maverick Vinales and Enea Bastianini
Not only will KTM be ensuring that all four of their riders have the same bikes in 2025, but they have added another measure too.
It may upset recent factory outfit graduate Pedro Acosta, who is heading into the season as a dark horse candidate for the title.
Acosta will be worried about KTM’s plan for Bastianini and Vinales because they plan to hand upgrade parts out to the best-performing riders.
READ MORE: Pit Beirer reveals how Pedro Acosta tempted Maverick Vinales to join KTM MotoGP team
It means that even if the satellite team is performing better, they will get the first go on new parts if they are delivering the results.
It adds a little pressure to the 19-year-old and ensures that he will remain on his toes in pursuit of supremacy among his KTM colleagues.
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