Maverick Viñales
Early Life
Born on 12 January 1995 in Figueres, Alt Empordà, Spain, Maverick Viñales Ruiz began his journey in motorsport at the remarkably young age of three, starting with competitive racing in minimotos. His early racing foundation expanded to include motocross before he transitioned to circuit racing in 2002, competing in the Catalan 50cc Championship.
Junior Career
Viñales built his racing credentials through several successful seasons in 70cc 'metrakit' bikes before stepping up to more competitive machinery. In 2007, he claimed the Catalan 125cc Championship title, successfully defending it in 2008 while also capturing the Mediterranean Trophy. His first taste of international competition came in 2008 when he competed in selected events in the German IDM 125GP Championship for RZT Racing aboard an Aprilia RS 125 R, achieving a best result of seventh.
The pivotal years came in 2009 and 2010 in the CEV Buckler 125GP series. Joining the Blusens-BQR team in 2009 alongside Miguel Oliveira, Viñales impressed as a rookie, finishing as championship runner-up to Alberto Moncayo by just four points while earning Rookie of the Year honors. He claimed four successive podiums during the season, including a breakthrough victory at Jerez.
In 2010, Viñales and Oliveira became championship rivals on different teams. Despite winning only two races compared to Oliveira's four victories, Viñales demonstrated remarkable consistency by finishing each of the season's seven races on the podium. This consistency proved decisive as he claimed the title by just two points after Oliveira crashed out of one race at Albacete. Viñales also secured the 2010 European Championship title at his favored Albacete circuit.
Racing Career
Viñales achieved his breakthrough in Grand Prix motorcycle racing by winning the 2013 Moto3 World Championship, establishing himself as one of Spain's rising talents in the sport. This success paved his path to MotoGP, where he spent five seasons as a factory rider with the Yamaha Factory Racing team.
His time with Yamaha came to an unexpected end when his contract was terminated by mutual consent midway through the 2021 season. Viñales then embarked on a new chapter with Aprilia Racing, competing for the team from 2022 to 2024 before making another significant move to Red Bull KTM Tech3 in 2025, where he currently races in the premier MotoGP class.