The days have passed since the Styrian Grand Prix which saw a Maverick Viñales jump at more than 200 km/h from his Yamaha with faded brakes. As the problem was not new, the fact, which motivated the red flag, caused a certain stir among the peloton. The Spaniard responds and recounts the facts as he experienced them. And it’s interesting, especially the passage of the freedom-loving brochure…
Maverick Vinales will long remember his 2020 double visit to the Red Bull Ring. During the first, a pure miracle allowed him to survive the worst by seeing the remains of the Ducati GP19 of John Zarco fly over it, rather than hitting it. And during the last he evacuated the saddle from his Yamaha urgently, after realizing that he no longer had any brakes...
The kind of antics that you don't like to experience during your career. Still, the last episode raised questions about the pilot's discernment. Not about ejecting, which saved him, but about continuing his race when, from the start, he knew his brakes were working erratically.
All this requires clarification, and before finding himself in front of his peers at the security commission at Misano, next stop on the calendar, Top Gun gives his version of events. First, he makes amends in an interview with “El Transistor” by Onda Cero. : “ It was totally my fault because I kept going until there were no more brakes. There was no more pad and it came off the brake ". On the precursors to disaster, he adds: “ from the 5th to the 7th lap, the braking was very slow but the times were good. I had to do two or three laps to get the brakes back and it worked well. And I started driving fast again. But after two brakes I said to myself: “this isn’t right”. I braked and luckily at first it slowed me down a bit, but then I wouldn't stop. In this case, you have to jump ».
“With the new calipers we had a lot of problems”
Did he put his colleagues in danger? “ When I saw that I was running out of brakes, I slowed down. I actually raised my hand and everything to make room for others. I let Dovi go a lot, meaning if I had a problem I wouldn't mess with Dovi, and when Quartararo and Valentino overtook me I had the brakes. But when it broke down I let them go. It is clear that I would not have put anyone in danger ».
Another question asked is that of having chosen equipment that the supplier Brembo advised against: “ it's complicated because last weekend I raced with the same brakes and they were perfect for me. I followed several laps with several drivers and had no problems. And all weekend I had no problems. On another side, with the new calipers we had a lot of problems because in two or three corners they were working well but then there was no brake. They were very inconsistent and that as a driver is very complicated. Honestly, they didn't fail, in FP4 it was very hot and the brakes weren't a problem, it was in the race that they started not working ».
The fact remains that this accident will have consequences for the rest of the season. Because by disintegrating, the Yamaha may also have consumed a rare commodity… “ I heard like something fell off the bike, I noticed it. I burned my back a little but nothing, I feel super lucky. When I saw the bike on fire, I said to myself, "I can't believe it, the engine » ». Because engine was new. So much so that the Spaniard may not have any more in this state of form in his allocation until the end of the season…
