- AP Photo/Eric Gay
America – Maverick Vinales is officially the first rider to win in MotoGP with three different manufacturers.
The Aprilia rider set the unique record by claiming victory in the thrilling Americas MotoGP on Sunday.
He is the first rider to win a grand prix with three different brands in the post-2002 'MotoGP' era. He is only the fifth in history to ever win with three brands.
Pembalap Aprilia Racing, Maverick Vinales
- Crash.net
Vinales had previously won once with Suzuki, and eight times with Yamaha, before securing his first grand prix win since joining Aprilia in mid-2021.
He had arguably already claimed the record as the first rider to win in MotoGP with three different brands, after twice winning sprint races.
Vinales has won back-to-back Saturday sprints at the two most recent rounds, in Portimao and Texas.
But, according to the official MotoGP record books, sprint races are classified separately and only a grand prix win would secure his place in history.
After battling to victory in an epic Americas MotoGP, Vinales has finally put any doubt about the record to bed.
He started from pole but a terrible start dropped him out of the top 10, before he took advantage of Marc Marquez crashing out of the lead to edge past Francesco Bagnaia, Pedro Acosta and Jorge Martin at the front.
Other riders in MotoGP this year who could have become the first to win with three manufacturers were Alex Rins and Jack Miller.
Rins has won with Suzuki and Honda, and is now on a Yamaha.
Miller has won with Honda and Ducati, and is now riding for KTM.
But Vinales has beaten them both to a record which eluded greats like Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo.
"It's amazing. We dream but life is like that. You have to dream," said Maverick Vinales, quoted from Crash.
