Maverick Viñales-Aprilia: five keys to understanding the most risky (but perhaps winning) union in MotoGP

Viñales signs with Aprilia for just one season

Perhaps the most important part of this whole thing. The agreement between Viñales and Aprilia refers only to the 2022 season, and it is not a minor issue. Both parties have their doubts about the opposite, so the next season will serve simply to test if the relationship fits and becomes something lasting or if it is just an abortion.

Viñales' contract will be matched to practically the entire gridWith the exception of Marc Márquez and Brad Binder, therefore the Spanish rider will be able to look for a seat at any make if Aprilia is not convinced, just as Aprilia will be able to look for almost any other rider if Viñales is not convinced. There are no ties.

Viñales will test if his style is better suited to a V4 engine

So far, Maverick Viñales' seven seasons in MotoGP have had one point in common: have been with an inline four cylinder engine. Both in Suzuki and Yamaha this condition was repeated, and in the Viñales environment, and in the rider himself, there are doubts about whether it is what best suits his riding style.

In Aprilia, Viñales is going to get on a motorcycle with a V4 engine It will require more of a strong braking style and fast throttle than cornering. In addition, the Aprilia has a reputation for being the most tame V4, even at the cost of power. An experience that will help Viñales to choose better for 2023.

Viñales will finally be number one, the reference, of a factory

It's something Viñales has been yearning for since he came to Yamaha. The Roses rider could be Suzuki's reference, but he went to be Valentino Rossi's partner at Yamaha and with these conditions it was not easy for the Iwata brand to follow his indications. When Rossi left, Fabio Quartararo arrived, who fits like a glove with the bike.

Joining for Aprilia What Viñales ensures is that the Noale brand will follow his instructions, because precisely they need a number one like him, someone who is capable of giving a different point of view to Aleix Espargaró and who has already shown in the past that he is capable of winning.

Aprilia needs a young, winning rider to collate data

No matter how low Viñales' time is, today his cache is higher than that of Aprilia. And therefore Noale's are the big deal winners, since they are made with a 26-year-old driver who this year, with all the trouble he's got into, has already won a race and has taken pole.

In Aprilia they need a faster rider than Espargaró, that there are, to know where the motorcycle really is. And also someone who offers another point of view on development. In 2022 they will have concessions, so combining the experiences of Viñales and Andrea Dovizioso, together with that of Espargaró, would be a huge boost to the project.

Viñales has to clear his name before 2023

Everyone will have their opinion about the controversy that has surrounded Viñales in recent days, but the truth is that has smeared his name in sight of the paddock. And if we add it to the 2012 incident in Moto3 and his constant conflicts with Yamaha, that makes teams think twice about giving a rider as fast as he is conflictive a chance.

In 2022, in a brand that works more calmly, the Suzuki Viñales must return, focused on being competitive and very cordial in a team that revolved around him, if he wants to go to the market in 2023 with the options of signing a contract that puts him in a position to fight for a MotoGP World Championship, either with Aprilia or with other brand.