The future situation for the years 2019 and 2020 has stabilized at Yamaha with the meteoric signing of Maverick Vinales and the long-awaited confirmation of the still young Valentino Rossi. Everything would therefore be going well for the Blues, with Vale's recent excellent third place in Qatar less than a second behind the winner Andrea Dovizioso, if Johann Zarco's situation was not so delicate.
Lin Jarvis, Executive Director of Yamaha Motor Racing, explained his vision to Paolo Scalera, the founder of Gpone.com. The season has barely started, and already the ink of the signatures of Marquez, Red et Vinales is dry at the bottom of their contracts.
“We have many manufacturers now in MotoGP and everyone is looking to secure the best riders, explains Jarvis. In recent years, things are changing earlier and earlier, it's more difficult, you have to stay in the game.
“The positive is that being ahead means stability. It's not something totally new, because Lorenzo signed a contract when he was still a year and a half old. »
Was confirming Valentino an easy decision? There had been a lot of rumors... He is 39 after all.
“We were both on the same page. He believes he is competitive and we want a competitive rider. If he had wanted a one-year contract, we would have said yes, or even two. If he had said five years, we might have thought twice (he's laughing) ".
Will it be competitive until 2020?
“Everything is a gamble, life is a game. You have to make a decision based on how you feel and know that in that moment, everything can change from one day to the next.
“We are very happy that Valentino will stay with us for two more seasons. By the end of 2020, we will have been together for 15 years, which is unique in our sport.”
For Yamaha, Rossi is…
“Simply an icon, everyone recognizes that he brings positivity to the team and to this sport, he makes us want to improve, even when times are tough. We saw that in testing, he’s definitely at the top of his game. And he’s always motivated.”
Have you ever considered embarking on a new adventure with a young pilot?
“Zarco is very fast, we saw him last year and this winter, but we never seriously considered him. Valentino is Valentino, he is the greatest rider in Yamaha history and he is not easy to replace. If he wants to continue, it’s because he knows he’s still competitive and we didn’t hesitate to keep him.”
The good news on Vale's renewal was preceded by bad news: the Tech3 team's decision to leave Yamaha for KTM.
“I don't believe Tech3 is leaving us because they didn't feel supported by Yamaha, but because they received a fantastic offer, from a financial and stability point of view.
“It’s true that we didn’t give Zarco a factory bike. For this season, we want to take advantage of the nine months we still have to spend together.
“We guarantee maximum support, the decision to leave was theirs and we respect that, but we also regret it after 20 years together. The last race in Valencia will be a sad day.”
Could there be a third factory M1 for the Frenchman?
“This will be a topic we will discuss when negotiating a new contract with the new team. It is possible that Zarco will have a factory bike next year. As for this season, it will be very difficult. I don't think Johann is lacking support from Yamaha at the moment. He has a different bike but is nevertheless very competitive. »
Photos © Yamaha
