Vinales reveals the reasons behind his departure from the Yamaha MotoGP team in 2021 are becoming evident now. He had joined Yamaha in 2017 and enjoyed significant success, securing eight out of his nine MotoGP victories with the team.
However, Vinales’ performance declined after his victory in Qatar in 2021, leading to a strained relationship with Yamaha. Despite starting from pole position and finishing second at the Dutch GP, the situation had deteriorated irreparably. Shortly after the Assen round, Yamaha announced an early termination of Vinales’ contract, and he was later dismissed for attempting to intentionally damage his bike’s engine during the Styrian GP.
In the 2023 season, Yamaha has encountered difficulties, with Vinales pointing out that the complaints he voiced about the bike in 2021 are now being echoed by both Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli.
“I am confident that with time, the reasons for my departure will become clear,” Vinales stated before the Dutch GP. “Many riders are now expressing similar complaints to what I had three years ago. Nevertheless, when I observed Yamaha’s performance in Germany, they were struggling. Perhaps they will perform better here in Assen; I cannot say. But they faced significant challenges at the Sachsenring.”
Vinales currently occupies the 10th position in the standings, trailing Quartararo by four points. His only podium finish of the season so far came in Portugal, where he secured second place while riding for Aprilia. Unfortunately, his German weekend was marred by two retirements, one of which resulted from an engine failure during the race.
Vinales considers this setback fortunate as it brought to light the performance issues he had been grappling with since the Italian GP, leaving him and Aprilia perplexed. Reflecting on the incident, he commented, “In a way, we were fortunate in Sachsenring because the engine broke. Through a thorough analysis, we identified the problem. Despite experiencing engine issues throughout the weekend, it was strange that we couldn’t achieve the expected performance at Sachsenring. We started FP1 in the top five, so it was puzzling. However, now we have a clear understanding, which is reassuring as we approach Assen. We tried various approaches to comprehend the issue, and it turned out to be one specific problem. It is crucial to comprehend the root cause and trust our data. We know our strengths when the bike is set up a certain way, with a specific power output. Therefore, it is important to thoroughly analyze any issues before they arise. Unfortunately, we were late in this regard, as Sachsenring presented an excellent opportunity for a top-five finish.”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about MotoGP departure
Why did Maverick Vinales leave the Yamaha MotoGP team?
Maverick Vinales left the Yamaha MotoGP team due to a deteriorating relationship and declining performance. After a round one win in Qatar in 2021, Vinales’ results slumped, leading to irreparable differences with Yamaha. The team announced an early termination of his contract, and he was later dismissed for deliberately attempting to damage his bike’s engine during a race.
What challenges did Yamaha face in the 2023 season?
Yamaha faced difficulties in the 2023 season. Vinales noted that the complaints he raised about the bike in 2021 are now being voiced by other Yamaha riders, Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli. The team also encountered struggles during the German GP, and Vinales mentioned their difficulties at the Sachsenring circuit.
How is Maverick Vinales performing with Aprilia?
Maverick Vinales currently rides for Aprilia in the MotoGP championship. He sits in 10th position in the standings, trailing Fabio Quartararo by four points. Vinales achieved Aprilia’s only podium finish of the season so far with a second-place result in Portugal. However, his German GP weekend was affected by two retirements, including an engine failure during the race.
What issues did Vinales face with his Aprilia bike?
Vinales encountered performance issues with his Aprilia bike since the Italian GP. These problems persisted until the engine failure during the German GP, which revealed the underlying performance issues. Vinales and Aprilia were initially puzzled by the lack of competitiveness at the Sachsenring circuit despite starting FP1 in the top five. However, through analysis, they identified the problem and gained a better understanding for future races.
More about MotoGP departure
- Maverick Vinales leaves Yamaha MotoGP team
- Yamaha terminates contract with Maverick Vinales
- Challenges faced by Yamaha in the 2023 MotoGP season
- Maverick Vinales’ performance with Aprilia
- Issues faced by Vinales with his Aprilia bike
4 comments
yamaha strugld this season, same complaints vinales made 2021 now by fabio n morbidelli. vinales is now with aprilia, 10th in standings.
checkout the links for more on vinales’ departure from yamaha, yamaha’s challenges, vinales with aprilia, and the issues faced. great info!
vinales had problems with aprilia’s bike since italian gp, then engine failed in germany. weird they not perform well in sachsenring, late to figure out issue.
vinales left yamaha coz their relation went sour, declining performance, and tryna damage bike’s engine. yamaha had to let him go.