Marco Bezzecchi
Maverick Vinales enjoyed yet another successful race for KTM at the French Grand Prix as he continues to sustain his excellent run of form.
Although the Spaniard achieved nothing blistering, he still managed another valuable top-five finish for KTM in the constructors’ championship race.
Vinales spent much of the race tucked behind colleague Pedro Acosta, who secured his best result of the year in fourth.
But their bike didn’t quite have the edge in speed required to beat Fermin Aldeguer to the podium, who held on for a maiden rookie rostrum at the Grand Prix of France.
Acosta admitted to looking up to Vinales in an attempt to learn everything that he can from the 30-year-old after he has adjusted well to life on a new bike in 2025.
Now sitting 11th in the standings, Vinales has told Herve Poncharal he loves his bike and that he has never felt so good on a MotoGP machine.
READ MORE: Ex-KTM boss targeted two MotoGP world champions over Maverick Vinales, ‘I’m telling you the truth…’
Maverick Vinales has ‘no explanation’ for KTM’s lack of traction at the French Grand Prix
Despite finishing fifth, Vinales was still a whopping 38 seconds behind eventual winner Johann Zarco on Sunday. That’s an average deficit of nearly 1.5 seconds per lap.
Without his Grand Prix of Qatar disqualification, where he was stripped of second place for a tyre pressure infringement after the race, he would be seventh in the standings.
Speaking to Speedweek after the race, he revealed that he struggled in the wet with one thing, which may be a specific issue with KTM Tech3’s bike.
“It was a whole new experience and the bike worked well in the rain,” he said. “Unfortunately, I have no explanation for why the bike did not build traction on the straights.
“It’s about driving completely straight ahead, even in sixth gear the rear wheel went crazy. With some inclination, everything was good. I lost two seconds per round. We have to understand this and I need more experience on the bike.”
Without losing two seconds per lap, he would have been in contention for the win, or a podium at the very least. It’s something his team and manufacturer will want to fix.
READ MORE: Maverick Vinales explains why Pedro Acosta has ‘more desire’ than any other rider at KTM
Why Maverick Vinales could be putting himself in a good position for the future
The old Vinales, the one who was seen at pre-season and in the first few races of the season is the one that fans have become accustomed to.
One randomly good result per year, but too wildly inconsistent to keep a top ride in the premier class. It’s why he left Aprilia at the end of 2024 to join Tech3.
But, for the first time in a while, the Spaniard is showing some really strong consistency. If KTM lose Pedro Acosta over the winter, he would be the most obvious candidate for a promotion currently.
They could opt to sign someone externally, but they would have to learn the bike and may not come with as much experience.
By continuing to lead KTM’s charge, Vinales is reminding everyone of just why he’s a winner.
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