Marco Bezzecchi
Not many riders have been able to say that they’ve beaten Valentino Rossi over a single season on equal machinery, but Maverick Vinales is one of the few who has the accolade in his locker.
After a couple of successful years to kickstart his premier class career with the factory Suzuki outfit, Maverick Vinales found himself within the ranks of Yamaha following Jorge Lorenzo’s exit after a successful nine-year stint with the team.
Top Gun immediately hit the ground running, winning his first two races atop Yamaha machinery, much to the dismay of his previously highly successful teammate, Valentino Rossi.
Rossi was furious with Yamaha signing Lorenzo for the 2008 campaign; he was stunned that the Japanese constructor wanted to sign someone who could compete for his crown.
Unfortunately, nine years later, the Italian experienced déjà vu with his latest teammate.
Who is the greater rider?
Maverick Vinales recalls how he was ‘much faster’ than Valentino Rossi when he joined Yamaha in 2017
In a recent interview on the Dura La Vita podcast, Vinales was asked several questions regarding his opening years in the premier class, including his four-year stint as the garagemate to Rossi.
The 30-year-old recalled his first days at the factory Yamaha team, and highlighted how he surprised Yamaha engineers by immediately clocking in laps that were more competitive than his legendary teammate.
He said, “Before I arrived in Valencia and had already led the first training session, I went to Sepang and set some amazing times that when they saw the stopwatch, the guys from Yamaha couldn’t believe it.
“Well, it was a lot of fun. The truth is that, of course, it was the first time I competed against my idol and competed head-to-head, with the same bike, the same weapons.
“When I joined Yamaha, I said, ‘Wow’. I was going much faster than him at that moment. I was surprised.
“I was also very surprised by how charismatic he was and the way he acted not only with the audience but with the team.
“Valentino had won them all over, not just one, but everyone. And during that time, I learned a lot, I learned a lot. Obviously, he had a lot of weight at Yamaha, it must be said, but it was fun.”
Maverick Vinales has welcomed Jorge Lorenzo into a coaching role for the upcoming MotoGP season
The interview alongside Lorenzo came after the announcement that Vinales would be coached by the three-time premier class champion for the upcoming season.
The two Spaniards had a fairly standard rivalry during their tenure on the grid together, with Vinales once accusing Lorenzo of riding like a rookie after they clashed at the 2019 Catalan Grand Prix.
However, the relationship never transpired into anything bitter, and Lorenzo has taken the 30-year-old under his wing in hopes of Top Gun replicating his feats in MotoGP and securing a world championship for himself.
Vinales has won a total of 10 Grands Prix during his career in the premier class that currently spans 11 seasons.
Despite being younger than the 2025 title-winner, Marc Marquez, he knows that he has a limited amount of time left on the grid to achieve his ultimate goal in the sport.
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