VIÑALES SAYS LOSAIL FLOW MATTERS MORE THAN TOP SPEED

Maverick Viñales arrived in Qatar with a mix of optimism and frustration. At Sepang, the KTM Tech3 rider had managed to ride almost pain-free in qualifying and secure a place in Q2, but his race results were only 15th and 14th. That was a sharp contrast with his earlier form in Qatar, where he had started sixth, surged past Marc Márquez and crossed the line in second. A mistake and a subsequent tyre-pressure penalty cost him the podium result.

Qatar’s Lusail circuit has been a happy hunting ground for Viñales, who won there with Yamaha despite lacking as much as 15 km/h in top speed. He believes success depends less on outright speed than on finding a smooth rhythm. “Here, getting into a rhythm is especially important,” he said. “If you can create that flow, it matters more than top speed.”

The circuit’s strong grip is both an attraction and a challenge. Viñales said the track is “fantastic” and recalled that his KTM had worked very well there at the previous event. But the extra grip also makes it harder to manage the physical forces, particularly when pain is involved. He pointed to Sepang’s lower grip as a factor behind his better ability to cope there, explaining that controlling his strength becomes more difficult when the bike generates greater forces.

The opening practice session offered mixed signs for KTM. Pedro Acosta was fourth, putting a KTM among the leading riders, while Viñales finished 15th, 1.4 seconds off the fastest time. He was nevertheless ahead of teammate Enea Bastianini, who placed 17th.