MotoGP team, Aprilia Racing Gresini, couldn’t wait for next season to see their most recent signing in action. The team of Noale has announced this Wednesday, September 1, that the official debut of Maverick Viñales will be brought forward to the upcoming Aragon GP. The MotorLand Circuit in Teruel will therefore be the first to witness the Spaniard’s maiden run with his new bike, the RS-GP. 

The news was released following the completion of two successful test days (August 31and September 1) by Viñales at the Autodromo Marco Simoncelli in Misano (Italy). It is there that he has had a chance to try out his new machine for the first time. 

The sensations during the test of Maverick Viñales have been so positive that a decision has been made for Viñales to start competing as soon as possible and bring his debut forward to his country’s own round. Aprilia’s CEO, Italian Massimo Rivola, explained the move to the press: 

“We are extremely proud to be able to announce our plans for the current season and for 2022 with the goal of optimising the contributions of our three riders to the utmost. Alongside our confirmed rider, Aleix, it is our pleasure to welcome a talented athlete like Maverick to the Aprilia Racing team, who demonstrated a great feeling with the team and the bike straight away and who I am confident will be able to give his best as early as the Aragón GP”.

“At the same time, we are also confirming Lorenzo’s role as 2022 test rider. This is a fundamental position that rewards the great efforts he has demonstrated in developing the new RS-GP, whereas he will finish out the 2021 season taking advantage of the wild cards that we’ll decide on together as soon as he is back to 100% fitness.”

https://twitter.com/MotoGP/status/1432619584859918340

Aprilia, impressed with Mav’s performance at Misano

Aprilia Racing’s technical director, Romano Albesiano, talked in more detail about how Maverick Viñales’ performance during the tests at Misano has been decisive in making the decision: 

 “The decision to have Maverick on the track from Aragón is a direct result of the tests done in Misano. It was not a given that, after a career spent up to now on a bike with an in-line engine, Maverick would have a good feeling with our V4 straight away!”.

“This is why the test on this track, historically not an easy one for our bike, was an important moment of assessment. Therefore, we are satisfied with Maverick’s immediately positive reactions, which demonstrated a good feeling both with the RS-GP and with the team and our work method. His and Aleix’s talent, combined with the experience Lorenzo has gained this season, make us optimistic about the future of our MotoGP project.”

‘Top Gun’ will thus team up with his friend Aleix Espargaró, who was third at the last British GP, and share his box for the remaining of the current season. 

Maverick Viñales’ last race in the current World Championship was on August 8 in Styria with Yamaha, and so he has only been absent from two appointments so far: Austria and Great Britain. The Catalan pilot will now return to action before his compatriots in Aragon in just ten days time. Life goes around!

Lorenzo Savadori, from official rider to test pilot at Aprilia

In the meantime, Aprillia’s second official rider, Lorenzo Savadori, will have time to focus on making a full recovery from his accident in Styria, where he fractured his right ankle after colliding with the KTM of Dani Pedrosa, and had to go under the knife 48 hours later. In 2021, the Italian will become test rider for the Noale team.

Images of Maverick Viñales: MotoGP.