AN UNBEATABLE MAVERICK COMES FROM BEHIND TO WIN, ALEIX SEVENTH
Maverick Viñales goes down in history along with Aprilia, winning in the Grand Prix of the Americas and giving the manufacturer from Noale victory number 298 in its World Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing history. After contact at the start which relegated him to eleventh place, the Spanish rider embarked on a spectacular comeback ride, moving into the race lead and setting the absolute best race time by a long shot. With this historic win, Maverick becomes the first rider in MotoGP history to win with three different brands.
It was a complicated race start for Aleix Espargaró as well, with the rider being a victim of contact on the first braking section and dropping back several positions. After a bold comeback, the Spanish rider finished seventh.
MAVERICK VIÑALES
"I made a lot of sacrifices to get here and it is all finally paying off. This shows us that you can never give up. You must have faith in your own abilities and keep growing. This is a historic achievement and I knew from the first day I arrived with Aprilia that I would be able to accomplish it. I wish to thank everyone who gave me the strength to continue, the folks in Noale, my team, and my family."
ALEIX ESPARGARÓ
"With my race pace, I would have been able to stay in the top five but, unfortunately, the contact at the start relegated me all the way back to fourteenth place. Despite not being competitive enough, I’m still satisfied with the result. The bike works well and Maverick demonstrated that. I’m happy for him and for Aprilia – we deserved this. I think that this will be an outstanding year for Aprilia and we will certainly have fun."