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One of the best ways of avoiding disappointments is to lower your expectations. Set the bar low enough, and it becomes almost impossible for reality slip below it. That has been the strategy adopted by Maverick Viņales recently, and with good reason: Yamaha's run of form recently has been pretty dismal. No podiums for four races, their longest run off the box since 2007. No victory for 23 straight races, the worst losing streak in their entire history in the premier class.
"I feel more positive about myself, but the expectations are the same," Viņales said on Thursday. "I have zero expectations. I want to just enjoy riding and see if we can take something positive from this weekend." It was a message which he repeated on Friday. "As I said, I don't want to make any expectations. I just want to go riding, enjoy."
There had been plenty for Viņales to enjoy. The Movistar Yamaha rider's expectations may have been set low, but he far exceeded them. In the morning, Viņales was fastest, with his teammate Valentino Rossi in second. In the afternoon, Viņales missed out on the top spot by three hundredths of a second, but Andrea Dovizioso only beat Viņales by putting on a fresh set of soft tires. Viņales had been circulating on hard tires, and lapping consistently in the low 1'31s.
Pundits proved wrong again
