Vinales Targets Front Tyre Mastery to Boost Aprilia’s Braking Performance in MotoGP

Maverick Vinales: “We need to figure out how to properly load the front tire”

“The Ducatis can lift the rear wheel effortlessly when braking. We need to figure out how to load the front tire because I believe that's crucial.”

On Sunday at the Austrian MotoGP, Maverick Vinales, who placed 13th in Saturday's Sprint, outperformed his teammate Aleix Espargaro to become the leading Aprilia rider.

However, finishing in seventh position, trailing behind five Ducati bikes and a KTM, highlighted the necessity for improved braking capabilities on the RS-GP.

Vinales believes that he is at a disadvantage when braking in a straight line, and he suspects that the rear downforce of the Aprilia might be contributing to this issue.

The Spanish rider thinks that the Ducati puts a lot of pressure on the front tire in an aggressive manner similar to a stoppie when its riders apply the brakes.

“In a track like this, where braking is crucial, we're having some difficulty,” Vinales mentioned.

"We excelled in certain aspects, but we recognize the necessity to enhance our braking performance, particularly when the bike is upright."

He mentioned that the way the front tire is loaded plays a crucial role and suggested that they might not be loading it correctly yet.

"Ducatis often appear to have a loose rear end, which makes it simple for them to perform a stoppie when braking."

"It seems that when you apply the brakes on our bike, the downforce consistently pushes down towards the ground instead of shifting towards the front. We're trying to figure out if this is causing the issue."

During the warm-up session, I attempted to shift all the bike's weight to the front, causing the rear to lift, but it didn't work. Now, we must figure out how to put more load on the front tire, as I believe that is crucial.

Luckily for Aprilia, the Aragon round this weekend won't heavily rely on straight-line braking. Vinales mentioned that the main focus will be assessing the grip on the new track surface.

"Aragon presents a distinct challenge where gauging the grip will be essential," he stated. "Given the fresh asphalt, we'll need to evaluate the situation meticulously."

"We believe this is a venue where we can excel. Our motivation is high, and we are committed to putting in our maximum effort."

Espargaro, a fellow team member, has previously demonstrated the RS-GP's capabilities at Aragon by securing a spot on the podium alongside Ducati racers Enea Bastianini and Francesco Bagnaia in the latest 2022 event.

As he plans to retire when this season concludes, Espargaro hopes to finish strong at one of the tracks he loves the most.

Espargaro mentioned that he is fond of this track, where he secured his first podium in MotoGP. He also noted that the track has new asphalt this year, which makes him eager to see what the new conditions will be like.

"The outlook is promising, as we secured a podium finish with Aprilia the last time we competed at this venue. I am eager to hit the track and take on the final Aragón GP of my career."

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