‘Maverick has transformed from boy to man’
Maverick Viñales might have shown at the weekend that he’s the real deal on the track as he romped to an utterly dominant second MotoGP victory, but his actions off the track over the weekend confirmed his new status not only as a title contender but as one of the elite group of aliens that sit atop MotoGP’s pecking order. That new status was never more clear than during Saturday evening’s press conference, where the debutant pole setter quickly took command of his surroundings. Showing confidence without arrogance as he fielded tough
‘It seems unlikely that mindgames will be able to dent his armour’
questions that had fellow front row starters Iannone and Marquez deferring to the young usurper, the 22-year-old showed just how much this winter has turned him from a boy into a man. And with that level of confidence off the bike, he gains a valuable physiological weapon. Assuming the role of MotoGP alpha male, it seems unlikely that the mindgames of experienced rivals like Marquez and his Valentino Rossi will have much effect in denting the armour of the 2017 MotoGP championship leader.