Maverick Vinales smashes Valencia MotoGP lap record but warns: “I can do better…”
Jorge Lorenzo’s effort from 201𝔉6 was beaten in Friday practice at the Valencia MotoGP by Vinales.
But the Ap𒅌rilia rider insists he could yet improve upon the 1m29.142🔯s which topped the timesheets on Friday.
He reacted to beating𒀰 the lap record: “Sounds good, sounds very good!
“The lap𓃲 was fantastic, I enjoyed it a lot. Still, I think I ▨can do better.
“We always know that, on Fridays, we have a bett🙈er balance on the bike.
“However, we identified it really well. Wౠe can im🧸prove tomorrow.
“I feel good, calm,🎉 flowing with the bike which🥂 I really like.
“Tomorrow we can do a good job. We need to focus.
“Every tim🥀e I have free space in front, I ride much꧒ better.
“I’m used to being in front so, when I’m behind, sometimes I don’t know how! It’s stra♚nge🌊, but it’s like this.
“When I ಌfeel good, it’s when I am riding in my zone which is in the first places.”
Vinales knows that Saturday qualifying could be the key to stringing together an emphatic weekend to conclude🌳 the 2023 season.
“I can be fast,” he warned.
“Howe𓂃ver, there are other ride🍸rs. Diggia was fast on used tyres.
“I just want to take the first𓄧 and second corner first, then take my rhythm and see how fast I am.”
Vinales entered the weekend in Valencia eig⛎hth in the MotoGP standings.
He has finished second on three occ✅asions but 𝓰still awaits his first win since swapping Yamaha for Aprilia.
Vinales pinpoints key area of Aprilia improvement
Vinales insists that Tuesday’s postseason test will be used toꦗ fine-tune some aspects of Aprilia’s bike, rather than for wholesale changes to it.
“Of course, there are still some areas,” he said.
“We a💮re very focused on the test. We have items to improve the feelingꦫ.
“For me, one of them is the clutch. This is very import𝓰ant.❀ It is the No1 priority.
“Sava is trying something different.
“After that, it is small details.
“Next year 🗹I will be better with the bike. Because I will know t🥀he bike more.
“We don’t need to touch too much. Some horsepower,🦩 a little more aerodyꩵnamics…
“T🦩hat’s all. We are very close, a few tenths off, so we need to keep believing🅰 and keep working.
“Since I joineꦍd Aprilia the improvement is going up and up.”
James was a s🐻ports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, t🅺o F1.
