Maverick Vinales reaction “something I've never seen in my life” - Exclusive

Maverick Vinales looked set to hand KTM its first MotoGP podium of the 2025 season in Qatar - until a tyre pressure penalty cruelly demoted him from second to 14th.

The Spaniard’s stunning ride for the Tech3 team was undone by a few critical laps spent under the minimum tyre pressure limit. 

Cooler temperatures and an unexpected race lead conspired against Vinales. But the dramatic late-race pace of Marc Marquez might also have made all the difference.

Team boss Herve Poncharal explained that Vinales responded to a dashboard warning by opening the door for Marquez to pass. 

“The problem for us was that Marc then pushed at his maximum and opened a gap,” Poncharal told Crash.net. 

“If Maverick could have been right on Marc’s exhaust, like Marc was with Alex at Buriram, maybe we could have been OK."

Instead, Vinales was left one or two laps short of meeting the required 60% of laps above the minimum pressure.

The Frenchman added: “We have to accept the rule and it’s the same for everyone. So I will never shout and complain that it was unfair. But sentimentally, it's so difficult to swallow.”

“The whole team is with him on the bike”

The back story to what looked like being KTM’s first podium of the season is well known.

After surviving Pierer Mobility’s winter financial woes, the RC16 project was plunged straight into a performance crisis due to vibration and grip issues.

With the long-term future of MotoGP project still unclear, every result counts, but KTM arrived in Qatar as the only brand without a top-five finish.

When Vinales, tenth after an ill-advised soft tyre choice in the Sprint race, bolted from sixth to third in the opening laps of the grand prix, the Tech3 team could barely believe their eyes.

“There is a huge effort that goes into a race weekend,” Poncharal said. “So when your rider is doing what Maverick was doing... The whole team is with him on the bike, following every sector of every lap.

“Then he crosses the finish line in P2, and the team explodes with joy and relief.”

The penalty, while technically fair, struck an emotional chord.

“Our rider has had one of the rides of his life. To demote him is right on the rule side, but very hard on the human side,” Poncharal added.

“We are not robots. This is a very high-level sport... Sometimes it might look a bit cold from the outside, but never forget the whole team has a real passion for this sport. We are at one with our rider on the bike.

“So it was almost a depression we were in after the penalty."

 "Something I've never seen in my life"

“Normally, the rider is most affected by these kinds of things, and you have to try to cheer him up," Poncharal continued.

“But Maverick, after everything, came back and told the team, ‘Hey guys, smile, we did it! Let’s celebrate.’

“The way Maverick behaved in that situation is something I've never seen in my life - and I've been here in racing for almost half a century!

“Maverick has had so much bad luck in Texas and Qatar, but still, he was the one trying to lift the atmosphere. He behaved like a real star… And he proved he’s still got the same right wrist as when he was younger.

“I am very proud to have him with me, and I hope we can give him what he deserves. And after what happened on Sunday, my motivation, which was already high, is multiplied by ten.

“My mission is to give both riders - Maverick and Enea, nobody should forget about Enea - the support they deserve because we saw on Sunday what’s possible.

“This race was a big boost for all the KTM riders, to show them we can fight.”

Marquez, Bagnaia and Tardozzi praise KTM

A cool-down room video captured Marquez and Ducati Lenovo team-mate Francesco Bagnaia praising Vinales and KTM.

“It was really nice to hear Pecco and Marc amazed by what Maverick and the KTM were doing,” Poncharal said. “They mentioned the acceleration, the way the bike came out of corners. That’s a big boost for all KTM riders.

“We accept the penalty, but Maverick crossed the line in P2. We know the performance is there because [the low pressure] didn't help us on track.

“There were also some nice words from Davide Tardozzi in parc ferme, who said to me: ‘Herve, fabulous! We need the opposition.’

“It’s important for the championship, and even the winning manufacturer, to have some competition and to be challenged.”

Can Vinales and KTM do it again?

The big question now is whether Vinales and KTM made a breakthrough or if the stars aligned perfectly in Qatar.

The next round at Jerez could prove pivotal.

“Even though the feeling in Texas and on Saturday in Qatar was good, we didn't expect that,” Poncharal admitted.

“We know Maverick loves Texas. We know Maverick loves Qatar. We know the bike was good last year in Texas and Qatar last year. Jerez, Le Mans, Silverstone are very different circuits.

“So this is a big question mark for us also. Jerez especially is almost the opposite of the past two tracks. But if we can be fast there, it will be a very good signal. That’s what we need to see now.”