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| Maverick Vinales riding the Tech3 KTM bike on the MotoGP racetrack. |
Jakarta, August 9, 2025 – Maverick Vinales admitted that he often has to remind himself that he once beat legendary riders like Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, and Dani Pedrosa to keep his motivation high amid his current struggles to be a regular frontrunner in MotoGP.
Touted as a future world champion early in his MotoGP career, Vinales made an instant impact when he joined Yamaha in 2017, winning the first two races of the season in Qatar and Argentina. During his four full seasons as Rossi’s teammate at Yamaha, Vinales outscored the seven-time premier class champion three times. In both 2017 and 2019, he finished third in the championship standings, behind only Honda’s Marc Marquez and Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso.
However, Vinales’ time at Yamaha ended abruptly in the middle of the 2021 season after accusations that he deliberately tried to damage his engine during the Styrian Grand Prix. Soon after, he switched to Aprilia and worked to rebuild his reputation. It wasn’t until the start of last season that he finally returned to the top step after a three-year winless drought.
Now racing with Tech3 KTM, Vinales has shown a quick adaptation to the RC16 bike. Although he is not yet consistently fighting at the front, he keeps himself motivated by reflecting on his past achievements. “Sometimes I have to remind myself that I beat Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa,” Vinales told GPOne. “‘Maverick, you’ve fought with some really big sharks, now it’s your moment!’”
He added that every stage of a career has its ups and downs. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to fight at the top consistently, but in the past, I was able to do that. There are many reasons behind this — from the package to the competitiveness of others. That’s why I want to remind myself who I’ve fought with, to keep motivated and believe in what I’m doing.”
Looking ahead, Vinales is expected to become more competitive in the upcoming MotoGP rounds with Tech3 KTM. His experience fighting top riders in the past and the team’s support could help him climb back to the front of the pack.
