Maverick Vinales has a history of adapting to new bikes, but it hasn’t always been easy. It took him 23 races to reach the podium with Suzuki, just one race with Yamaha, and 16 races with Aprilia. Now, he is starting a new adventure with KTM.

This weekend, at the season opener in Buriram, Thailand, Vinales will race the KTM RC16 for the first time. He will be the only rider in MotoGP history to win races with three different manufacturers. So, can he win with KTM and make it four?

A New Challenge with KTM

“I’ll try to adapt faster than I did with Aprilia,” Vinales said with a smile. “It took me a long time to learn that bike! But from my first laps on the KTM, I felt like it suited my riding style.”

After months of testing, Vinales believes the KTM has great potential. “The bike is strong, and we just need to find the maximum from it,” he explained.

His winter testing results have been mixed, as he finished 12th in Barcelona, 16th in Sepang, and 9th in Buriram. But Vinales is staying patient. “It will take time to fully understand how to get the most out of the KTM. We’ve made good progress, but learning continues during the races. We just need to trust the process.”

A New Role: Satellite Rider

For the first time in ten years, Vinales won’t be on a factory team. Instead, he will ride for KTM’s satellite team, Tech3.

“Last year, Jorge Martin won the championship with a satellite team,” he pointed out. “In the past, being in a factory team was more important, but now the bikes are the same. My feeling with the team is great, and the factory is fully supporting us.”

His new teammate is Enea Bastianini. “The atmosphere is really good,” Vinales said. “All four KTM riders are working towards the same goal. That’s really important.”

Ready for the Season

Vinales expressed excitement for the start of the season. “It’s a great place to race, and the Thai fans bring so much passion. It gives me extra motivation.”