One less ! That's what you call having the rug pulled out from under your feet and, for once, it's Yamaha that's in the lurch. While MotoGP is still in hibernation, Iwata's firm has woken everyone up by confirming its promised rider Maverick Viñales as a centerpiece of the transfer market. Ducati was eyeing the Top Gun and made no secret of it. Now the Reds are failing before even launching into the proposal. And now ?
Maverick Vinales will therefore stay with Yamaha until 2022. A masterstroke from the Japanese manufacturer which secures a key element of its system while repelling the pressure that the competition could have put on its driver and thus disrupting the serenity of its box. A competition essentially identified under the name of Ducati. Moreover, the Italians were the first to react with the voice of Paolo ciabatti : " what changes for us? Well, obviously a pawn in the MotoGP market that we had confirmed our interest in is no longer available »
An observation which, however, is not a frustration. The same Ciabatta adds: " It’s not a blow to the head. We were already talking about it in Japan. We are talking about a fast driver, but one against whom we have always placed in front with Dovizioso. So always taking into account that we have a solid team, we will continue on our path. »
« 2019 gave us the names of three drivers: Marc Márquez, Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins » explains the man from Borgo Panigale on GP One. " For the first mentioned, there is no point in lingering, right? Frankly it seems very unlikely that he would want to leave Honda. Then there is Quartararo, certainly strong, but who has not yet won a Grand Prix and finally there is Rins, fast, who has won two Grands Prix but who is still a little irregular. »
« Like I said, even though not everyone agrees, we have a fast driver, and that's Andrea Dovizioso. We have it at home. » It remains that the signature of Casa Particular in Viñales will have a consequence on Ducati: the team will have time to do its shopping… “ The market is now opening to other scenarios, but these are personal considerations and will remain so " finished Ciabatta.
