Maverick Vinales failed to score a point on his Red Bull KTM Tech3 debut, but Herve Poncharal has not written him off yet.

The 2025 MotoGP season started in a terrible way for Maverick Vinales' side of the Red Bull KTM Tech3 box.

The Spaniard was consistently at the back of the field and did not score a point at the Thai Grand Prix. He finished 14th in the Sprint and 16th in the Grand Prix on his first race weekend with the KTM RC16.

However, despite his difficult first weekend in the French team, Herve Poncharal still believes in his new rider.

He believes that the next two Grands Prix in Argentina and America will suit the Spaniard better and he will feature further towards the front.

"Enea [Bastianini] was brave and ounted the soft compound on the front and rear," Herve Poncharal told GPOne.

"It was a gamble, but it finally paid off. Maverick [Vinales] chose the hard front. This tyre didn't give him a good feeling. He, therefore, admitted in his media debrief that Enea [Bastianini] made the smarter decision.

"Up until Sunday, Maverick and Enea's performances were always close. But I'm confident and I repeat, I believe in Maverick!

"It is true that he feels better on certain tracks than on others, but every top rider wants to beat his teammate first. So Maverick will be going to Las Termas [Argentina] and Texas [USA] with even more motivation after the result in Buriram."

As well as Vinales, Poncharal can see improvements across the KTM MotoGP project as a whole. The Frenchman does not believe that Pedro Acosta is the dominant rider for the Austrian manufacturer anymore.

"We are seeing progress at KTM," Poncharal added. "The RC16 is being adapted better to the wishes, needs and riding styles of each individual rider.

"We have four riders with different riding styles. That is why I am happy that our two new KTM riders are also making progress and are no longer overshadowed so clearly by Pedro Acosta."