Maverick Vinales urges KTM Tech3 to ‘analyse’ one reason for Enea Bastianini’s stronger Thai Grand Prix

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Maverick Vinales and Enea Bastianini debuted for Tech3 as factory KTM riders at the 2025 Thai Grand Prix after moving to the satellite outfit for the new MotoGP season.

But the Buriram race was not a positive event for both pilots as they began their new lives in orange. While Bastianini came home in P9 as the second-best KTM rider in the Thai GP, right behind works racer Brad Binder, all that Vinales would secure was P16 and out of the points.

Pedro Acosta also failed to score points on his debut with the factory KTM team in P19 after the Spaniard crashed as the rear of his RC16 became unloaded under braking into Turn 1 on Lap 4 of 26. He remounted but did not catch the rear of the field before the chequered flag.

Maverick Vinales wants answers from KTM Tech3 for Enea Bastianini’s pace at Buriram

Yet Vinales was not off Bastianini’s pace all weekend as they debuted for Tech3 after signing works KTM deals. The 30-year-old could only qualify P18 but his 27-year-old teammate took P20. Vinales even finished ahead of Bastianini in the Sprint Race at Buriram in P14 and P18.

Bastianini was 0.215 seconds slower than Vinales in Q1, with just LCR Honda rookie Somkiat Chantra and Aprilia test rider Lorenzo Savadori slower around Buriram than the Italian. They were also the sole riders to finish the Sprint behind Bastianini, who was 4.964s from Vinales.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Maverick Vinales from career stats to net worth

Yet the tables turned in the actual Thai GP with Bastianini carving his way through the order to finish 8.717s ahead of Vinales and just 0.124s behind Binder as the best KTM riders. Now, Vinales has told KTM Tech3 to investigate if Bastianini’s tyre choice caused his improvement.

“He did very well,” Vinales said, via quotes by Moto.it. “He chose a different front tyre and we need to analyse whether this allowed him to push a bit more. He fitted a soft tyre and I fitted a hard one.”

Enea Bastianini was a man reborn with his mid-race pace in the 2025 Thai GP

KTM gave Vinales and Bastianini two-year factory contracts to race with Tech3 after reacting to their departures from Aprilia and Ducati respectively. All four KTM riders, including works duo Binder and Acosta, are under contract with the Austrian team through the 2026 season.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Enea Bastianini from net worth to career stats

Bastianini’s improved performance in the Thai GP will encourage KTM and Tech3 having not matched well with the RC16 since leaving the factory Ducati crew. His result in the Sprint on Saturday also left Neil Hodgson fearing Bastianini faces a ‘long year’ adapting to a new bike.

Yet Bastianini was a man reborn on Sunday to leave Vinales searching for answers as to why he was unable to remain Tech3’s lead rider. The Italian was amongst the fastest pilots in the middle of the Thai GP as he rose from P16 on L14 to claim ninth place with two laps to run.