Phillip Island: Maverick Vinales and Aprilia’s Last Stand for Overseas Glory?

Is Phillip Island the final international "chance" for Maverick Vinales and Aprilia?

"We are aware that our chances are at Mandalika and Phillip Island… As for the other locations, I believe they will resemble our experience in Japan."

Maverick Vinales was eager to move past a frustrating Japanese MotoGP experience following two underwhelming performances at Motegi.

Unexpectedly securing the third spot during qualifying at the stop-and-go circuit, Vinales faced an issue when he was unable to disengage his holeshot device at the first turn of the Saturday Sprint, resulting in a ninth-place finish.

However, the Spanish rider failed to reach the finish line in the main race, as he crashed out while in eleventh position, just behind his teammate Aleix Espargaro, halfway through the event.

Vinales commented on the grand prix, saying, "I'm not sure if the grip levels altered, but it was the poorest session of the weekend regarding both performance and how it felt."

Espargaro described the rear grip as a "nightmare," while Vinales preferred not to focus on the specific issues that occurred.

"The motorcycle is what it is, so there's not much more we can do besides attempting to put this weekend behind us, despite achieving some positive results during the qualifying rounds."

"Our focus will be on the upcoming one."

"In terms of the international races, I see Mandalika and Phillip Island as our best chances. Those circuits will be key for us. As for the others, I expect them to be similar to Japan."

"Concentrate completely on Phillip Island and aim to return to strong standings."

Mandalika, where Vinales advanced from tenth to sixth in the grand prix, and Phillip Island are both circuits with smooth, flowing layouts that align well with the RS-GP's capabilities.

The event at Phillip Island is scheduled for October 18-20. It will be succeeded by races on back-to-back weekends in Buriram and Sepang, locations where the RS-GP's intense heat caused discomfort for its riders the previous year.

Vinales and Espargaro are set to participate in their last races with Aprilia at the Valencia event before moving on to new roles with Tech3 KTM and as a test rider for Honda, respectively.

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