Maverick Viñales knows that this 2021 season will be important not only for his status at Yamaha but also for his career. Indeed, with the departure of Valentino Rossi from the factory team, he is now the elder, which means that he is the one who must be listened to. He cannot afford to be pushed around without flinching by the new arrival Fabio Quartararo, who is no longer a beginner. He too has legitimate ambitions. Before serious things begin this weekend in Qatar, the Spaniard recalls the general conditions he would like to see applied…
Maverick Vinales does not intend to suffer another failure this year in its quest for a world title in MotoGP. He will begin his fifth season with the factory team Yamaha . The Spaniard has won seven races with the M1 so far. But he was never able to challenge for the crown. For 2021, the situation has changed in the box with the departure of Red and the arrival of Quarterly. The opportunity to demand a different approach and a better plan.
« Sometimes it's hard to understand if you don't have an explanation ", said Casa Particular in Viñales in an interview with 'Motorsport-Total.com', looking back on the irregular results of recent years. “ If you don’t have an explanation, it’s very difficult to be calm.” It supports: “for example, I had two bad results in Austria last year. Then we came to Misano and I was lucky to win the second race. It's very difficult for my head because one day you look very bad and the next day you are the superstar ».
Yamaha works hard to eliminate these fluctuations, as they also affect other drivers. “ We need clear direction because we can't get lost in the middle of the season ", highlighted Casa Particular in Viñales. Engine development is frozen, but MotoGP engineers are working at full speed on the chassis, swingarm and aerodynamics. “ We always repeat the same thing. We start strong and then we are lost. We must not make this mistake again. We have to find a way and then stay true to that path. We must not leave this path during the season » warns the Spaniard.
« We have to make sure we are strong in every race. That's the most important thing. For this we need a plan and we must not lose confidence in this plan. We don't need three or four shots and then we get lost ". A remark which seems to reveal the doubts which torment engineers Yamaha .
Maverick Vinales: “it’s not so easy to form a strong team”
The one who started his career in MotoGP at Suzuki, with today’s resounding success, hits where it hurts: “ it's not so easy to form a strong team », Declared Casa Particular in Viñales. " In my first year at Yamaha, we weren't a unit. We didn't all go out to dinner. We weren't a group ". It will be recalled that the pilot then changed chief engineer, Ramón Forcada having been replaced by Stephen Garcia end of 2018. A relative of Casa Particular in Viñales.
« As a person, I know I need to feel good and relaxed. To feel this I have to know that everyone comes together. We are trying to achieve this. I think Yamaha understands this very well. They will try to keep me calm and relaxed. I think this is the best way to use my potential. He has improved from year to year. We now need a motorcycle that performs more consistently. As a driver, it's very complicated when you can win one race and barely be in the top 10 the next ».
These generalities said, it returns to the particular case of the first Grand Prix of the year Qatar. Which will be anything but a leap into the unknown since it is the same route of losail which was used for the offseason : " we worked well and calmly. We haven't tried too many things, more general things. I think we have a very good understanding of where we are and what we have to do. ».
And what needs to be done is no secret: “ we need to improve the start and some details on the bike which take time. I think we have found a good direction. This year the bike is doing very well with a full tank. Its very important. I don't know about the rest of the season, but we are at a good level at the moment. We must continue to work hard. After the first race we will see where we are ". An important deadline from the start? Casa Particular in Viñales puts pressure on...
