Viñales: “I can feel the pressure”

After his stunning win first time out, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales became the second youngest rider to win in the premier class for two different manufacturers, just behind Mike Hailwood. As if that wasn’t enough, the rider from Roses also joins another impressive list of men to have won for Yamaha and Suzuki – Jack Middelburg, Randy Mamola and Barry Sheene.

Now leading the Championship for the first time ever, the 2013 Moto3™ World Champion joins Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo on the list of men who have led for Yamaha since the MotoGP™ era began in 2002 – and with Viñales starting from pole after combined practice times decided the grid, the Spaniard also became the first rider ever to have set a pole position in Moto3™, Moto2™ and MotoGP™.

Suffice to say, it’s not going badly so far – but the season is only just beginning, and the pressure is setting in. Next stop? Argentina.

Maverick Viñales: “After the amazing race in Qatar I'm super excited to be back on my M1 this weekend in Termas de Río Hondo. Now we have the difficult challenge to continue getting good results, Qatar was only the first race of 18. I can feel the pressure a little bit because the level of my rivals is very high, but that motivates me even more to keep working hard. We have to be cautious, work step by step and race by race.”