Half of the 2016 season still remains to be completed, but minds are already turning towards 2017. The championship controls are firmly held by Marc Márquez who is now as fine a strategist as he is a terror of the clock.
Taking his leadership from him will not be easy for the two Yamaha officials who are 48 and 59 points behind. Valentino Rossi is the latter and will see Lorenzo leave him first to move to Ducati. In his place will arrive a Maverick Viñales. Which won't be a gift.
The former Moto3 World Champion and third in the standings in his first and last Moto2 season will therefore close the Suzuki chapter of his career to open a new page with Yamaha. A good deal, a priori, for the three tuning forks while the Doctor, who has confirmed his presence on the M1 for another two years, sees it coming with a good eye. But also with an agreed apprehension.
On Sky Sports, the nine-time winner commented: “ Viñales has already shown that he is very strong and yet he still has plenty of room for improvement. He is young and will improve. He will be another very good teammate. This worries me a little ". That said, for the general interest, it’s fair game: “NWe will be two good pilots. This arrival is a bad thing for Suzuki but a very good thing for Yamaha ».
A way of emphasizing the team spirit that the Spaniard must also have, who this year reached his first podium in the premier category at Le Mans.
Maverick Vinales is currently fifth in the championship with 83 points. That is 13 behind on Pedrosa and 11 ahead of Pol Espargaro.
