Having seemed speedy all weekend in Austin, polesitter Vinales was capable of combat again from a sluggish opening lap that dropped him to eleventh to take an unbelievable victory in Sunday’s predominant race – his first as an Aprilia rider and the tenth of his profession.
It made him the primary rider within the fashionable period of bike racing to win races for 3 totally different marques within the premier class, after his 2016 British GP triumph with Suzuki and eight earlier victories with Yamaha between 2017-21.
However whereas his earlier race wins are pricey to him, the Spaniard says his feat on the Circuit of the Americas holds a particular worth because it represents Aprilia’s accession from a decrease midfield marque to a race-winning power in MotoGP.
“Clearly, the win with Aprilia has a special worth as a result of after I signed for them they have been P15, P10, and searching how a lot we grew up this manufacturing facility,” he mentioned, highlighting how Aprilia had solely simply scored its first podium when he joined the then-Gresini run squad within the latter a part of 2021.
“Clearly we’re a giant manufacturing facility. Nonetheless, we want time to enhance and be extra fixed, however I see this yr with a variety of potential in entrance of us.
“We should be very sensible and really targeted on the job, and particularly issues like [what] occurred in Portimao [with the gearbox]. It’s about getting extra expertise and extra time within the entrance, and that confidence we construct up.
“We now have to proceed, we’re a giant manufacturing facility and massive factories win races. We did it right now, so we have to be very blissful and really pleased with the job we did. However clearly, it’s tougher what I did proper now as a result of we got here from the again and right now we’re on prime.”
Watch: MotoGP: Vinales recovers from eleventh to win | 2024 #AmericasGP
Vinales’ bitter exit from Yamaha and a comparatively sluggish adaptation to the Aprilia had led many to doubt whether or not the Spaniard would ever be capable of rediscover his previous type once more, particularly within the wake of team-mate Aleix Espargaro’s race-winning campaigns in 2022 and ‘23 on a quickly enhancing RS-GP.
There additionally had been hypothesis about Vinales’ place within the staff as he enters the ultimate yr of his contract, with Aprilia believed to be in talks with 2021 champion Fabio Quartararo earlier than he inked a contemporary contract with Yamaha this month.
The 29-year-old mentioned he might show the naysayers improper within the Americas GP as a result of he now has a motorcycle that’s not solely quick when working on the entrance but additionally in the midst of the pack – which enabled him to scythe his means by means of the sector and snatch the lead again on lap 13.
“Clearly prior to now I didn’t have the weapon I’ve now, particularly to overhaul as a result of you understand very effectively I used to be struggling to be near the opposite riders prior to now,” he mentioned.
“However how I’ve the bike proper now, how I can actually overbrake on a regular basis, it appears that evidently it’s not simple to go however I can attempt it. And that’s implausible.
“I’ve particularly the weapon to attempt it and that’s enormous as a result of clearly you can not all the time begin and lead the race from the primary nook. So, you have to combat and all these guys are braking late, combating. And I’m there additionally, so that is implausible.”