Aleix Espargaro recalls what surprised Maverick Vinales about Aprilia after leaving Yamaha
Photo by Kaikungwon Duanjumroon/NurPhoto via Getty Images Aleix Espargaro has shared a funny story about how Maverick Vinales reacted after making the move from Yamaha to Aprilia. Maverick Vinales’ time at Aprilia doesn’t get much attention, mostly because his form dipped noticeably after he left Yamaha. During his time with Yamaha from 2017 to 2021, Vinales put together a solid record, collecting 24 podiums and eight wins along the way.
But after joining Aprilia midway through 2021, his results took a hit, managing just one victory during his stay there. It’s worth looking into why Vinales’ performance dropped post-Yamaha, especially given how surprised he was by Aprilia’s speed when he first spoke with Espargaro. Photo by Gold & Goose Photography/Getty Images Maverick Vinales is confused by Aprilia’s lack of speed after moving from Yamaha Aleix Espargaro spoke about how he tried to convince Maverick Vinales to leave Yamaha for Aprilia, sharing the story on the Dans La Boite à Gants podcast.
At that time, Espargaro was still riding for Aprilia, and Vinales tried out the bike. He was surprised at how slow it felt, considering how well Espargaro had been performing. Espargaro recalled: “I remember I convinced Maverick to join us in Aprilia when he was in Yamaha, winning races.
When he rode the bike for the first time… “That bike was not that bad. I was on the podium. But he was coming from Yamaha.
So he said, ‘Wow, what is this bike? I don’t understand how you do it, I don’t understand how fast you are. ’ Vinales then began investigating if there were advantages Espargaro had over him beyond just differences in their bikes.