“Surprise standout” MotoGP rider of 2025 handed lavish praise

One MotoGP rider who has caught the eye for his overachievement has been lauded.

Maverick Vinales - always capable of brilliance - has been praised for retaining a fighting spirit which has led to impressive results this season.

Vinales swapped Aprilia for Tech3 KTM in 2025 - and is only six points behind the manufacturer’s leading rider, Pedro Acosta, in the MotoGP standings.

Vinales stole the show at the Qatar MotoGP with an unexpected - but brilliant - second-place before he was demoted to 14th for a tyre pressure infringement. Nevertheless, admiration for his ride engulfed the paddock.

The veteran rider backed up that performance by finishing fourth in Jerez, and fifth in Le Mans.

'This season feels different' for Maverick Vinales

“For me, and I genuinely mean this, as well as Ai Ogura, Vinales has been my surprise standout of the year,” TNT Sports’ Neil Hodgson said.

“I thought, 'well, he’s off to another manufacturer, KTM, and he’s not in the main team, he is winding down his career'.

“As we see, you get to the point of your career where, perhaps, he’ll have a couple more seasons.

“But I didn’t expect to see him come out fighting like he has done.”

Sylvain Guintoli added: “He found something with Manu Cazeaux, his crew chief from old times. He was with him at Aprilia and Suzuki.

“We all know that, when Maverick feels good with the bike, he does have magic. He is a special rider.

“I know, in the past, he has been inconsistent. But when he has the feeling, he is so beautiful to ride, a really technical rider.”

Hodgson added: “Sometimes Maverick can just walk on water.

“He can go missing for a few rounds. I don’t know why, but this season feels different.”

Vinales’ overachievement so far in 2025 is emphasised by the struggles of his teammate Enea Bastianini, who stepped off a factory Ducati last season.

Vinales has even caught the eye ahead of Brad Binder, KTM’s factory rider who has vastly more experience with their bike.