Maverick Vinales' approach to the Grand Prix (GP) at COTA, USA, seems to have been rather simple: silence the critics. By claiming pole and winning in the sprint and the main race, he has done exactly that.
But there's more to this story than meets the eye. The Spaniard was left with no ride halfway through the 2021 season when he was ousted by Yamaha.
Aprilia Racing threw him a lifeline and he clung onto it tightly. While flashes of brilliance were displayed in 2022 and 2023, Vinales was always behind his teammate Aleix Espargaro.
However, the Noale-based outfit did not lose trust in Vinales and signed him again, looking at the untapped potential the Spaniard has and not looking at the results that were yet to arrive.
At the start of this year, in the Qatar GP, the case of Aleix beating Maverick repeated itself, and Vinales was nowhere near his teammate. But everything changed in Portimao.
A sprint win followed by an almost successful main race (only marred by mechanical failure that led to Maverick crashing out) gave him the confidence boost he needed.
This, in turn, resulted in Vinales claiming pole at the Texas circuit, winning the sprint race and the main race. The full-length race was a ride of redemption for the Aprilia man, for he had slumped to 11th position in the lead lap, before mounting his ride to the top.
And what a ride it was! The former Yamaha race winner passed nine people on his way to victory (Marc Marquez crashed after briefly taking the lead from Pedro Acosta before Vinales could catch up) and stamped his authority at COTA in Marquez style!
