Maverick Vinales sees Mugello MotoGP speed as genuine KTM “steps forward”
Vinales was fastest on Friday at Italian GP
Maverick Vinales believes KTM is “making steps forward” with its 2025 MotoGP bike after topping Friday practice at the Italian Grand Prix.
Over the first eight rounds of the year, Maverick Vinales has largely been KTM’s leading light amid a difficult season so far for the Austrian marque.
Updates brought to the recent Aragon test made their way onto the RC16s on Friday at Mugello, with Vinales utilising them to go fastest of all with a 1m44.634s in the hour-long Practice.
The Tech3 rider says he came to Mugello having felt “amazing” in the Aragon test, which has seemingly continued on into the start of the Italian Grand Prix weekend.
“It felt good,” he told motogp.com.
“It was very important to confirm the updates from the Aragon test.
“In Aragon, I rode really good, I felt amazing. But we needed to confirm here in Mugello that we did a step and I think we did.
“We are making steps forward. It’s obvious that still it’s Friday, so still we need to work on the details and try to understand what to do for tomorrow.”
One of the key updates brought by KTM to Mugello is new aerodynamic parts on the rear of the bike, which Vinales believes has helped improve turning on the RC16.
“You know very well that the bike is really fast on the straight,” he added when asked what the KTM was doing well at Mugello.
“We were missing a little bit of cornering, which I think we gained a little bit with the new combination on the aero since.
“But still there is a way to go. I know this is not short-term.
“There’s a long way to go and a way to build up something strong and something consistent.
“So, it’s important for us to keep working.”
Still beaming after his lap on Friday, Vinales noted that qualifying is an “opportunity” for KTM to put itself in a position from which it can fight for big results in both races.
“It is an opportunity, we have the opportunity, and we need to give the maximum,” he concluded.
“This is my target: give the maximum, understand how I can be better, or how I can ride the bike better, and try to improve for tomorrow.”
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