Ramón Forcada is a chief mechanic known for having a strong character. He was also one of the major architects of the titles of Jorge Lorenzo. But with Maverick Vinales, who also aggressively defends his points of view, it did not work. The crisis took place against a backdrop of poor results which exacerbated passions. Since then, things have been better, but the two men will no longer work together after the Valencia Grand Prix. Is it the bike's fault? Ramon Forcada does not budge: his pilot also has a lot to do with it…
Ramón Forcada will take care of the Yamaha Petronas adventure from 2019 alongside Franco Morbidelli. The episode Casa Particular in Viñales will have only been a parenthesis of two years after experiencing the epic Lorenzo. A relationship spoiled by a Yamaha at the bottom of the wave. But on this point, the Spaniard is less affirmative... He declares on Motoracing : " the bike was said to be a disaster, but it still achieved nine podiums. She obviously couldn't win, but it wasn't that bad ».
From there, he refines his analysis: “ if the rider is defeatist, it is very difficult for the bike to run well... if the rider is positive, the bike gives you good feelings. At the end is the sum of small details on the bike, little things add up and give the rider confidence. The pilots are then more positive, because they see that it works, that it is worth fighting for because the results are possible ».
He pursues : " the pilot's attitude depends a little on his feeling... when things don't come back, his behavior also drops, so that the final result is less and less good and in the end it sucks... Then it depends on the character. Among the riders, there are riders who, on a motorcycle that is in difficulty, try to work and others who approach the situation in a negative way. And that can't be changed ».
In 2019, Maverick Vinales will find the chief mechanic who had been his during his Moto3 title, i.e. Stephen Garcia. As for the M1, adjustments to the electronic components, the saddle, the suspension, and the weight distribution were enough to take a slight step in the evolution of the motorcycle. Ramón Forcada finished : " the bike that looked like a disaster is working well now... the road to next year is already a little clearer ».
