Maverick Viñales made his debut on the KTM RC16 of the Tech3 team this Tuesday during the Barcelona test session. It marked his first experience with the new bike after three years riding for Aprilia.
The Spaniard shared an overall positive first impression but acknowledged that there are still elements he needs to learn and adapt to his riding style:
– Well, I started the day with no expectations, trying to be very open-minded. The feeling was positive straightaway even on the out lap, everything comes very naturally. Of course, there are still many things that I need and integrate into my riding style, because I need that learning process to become more natural in the riding style. But the feeling was good.
On his first day with the KTM, Viñales opted for a straightforward approach, as he explained: ‘We didn’t test too much, to be honest. I just asked to have Pedro’s [Acosta] set-up, and I tried to ride and understand the bike. So, it was quite good’.
Regarding his impressions of working with KTM, the #12 commented: ‘The technicians were quite eager, especially in the first outing, to hear the feedback from the rider. But overall, we always had a good communication, we didn’t touch the bike too much – only little adjustments. I really wanted to take Pedro’s bike and ride it until I went fast. I worked a bit with Dani [Pedrosa] and Pol [Espargaró], trying to understand where I need to push the bike, when I need to be more gentle. Working with them was a nice experience, to be honest’.