The month of July has begun and it will be the month that finally launches the MotoGP season. A date that promises to be hot in every sense of the word. The concentration on the deadline is increasing crescendo and those who have been ready since March are only asking to realize in the race the promises glimpsed during the off-season of the world before. Among them, Maverick Viñales, who is even looking ahead to 2021, a year which will be marked by the arrival of a new teammate...
Maverick Vinales was considered in March as the big favorite for the start of the 2020 version of the MotoGP season. In great shape on a Yamaha who found the right rhythm, he could also benefit from a Marc Marquez physically diminished on a Honda who was still looking for himself. The eight-time World Champion recognizes that the health crisis and the confinement it imposed saved him from experiencing a difficult first four or five Grands Prix. During this time Casa Particular in Viñales was injured while riding motocross. But it's all just bad memories.
Here we are in July and everyone seems sharp, except for one Andrea Dovizioso convalescing from an operated clavicle. But the official Ducati is already at the gym... You will nevertheless have to be truly at the top of your form and your art to face this campaign of the next world: " it will be a tough fight and balance will be key. On the one hand, we must be careful in the free practice sessions and not give 100%, in order to avoid the risk of injury. But in the race, we will have to attack from the first GP. With fewer races going on, there won't be any time to waste, so we'll probably have to take more risks from round 1 onwards » assures the official Yamaha .
“We learned from Petronas”
The last days, Maverick Vinales trained on the Cartagena track, previously on the Andorra circuit, alternating with a few motocross sessions. No major technical innovations will be made to the Yamaha YZR-M1 in the short term. The testing team Jorge Lorenzo is currently at a standstill, but Iwata's house has worked a lot on the electronics and perfected the "holeshot" starting system during this quarantine period. The engine and aerodynamics will remain frozen until the end of the 2021 MotoGP season. The bike is competitive and has a lot of potential » explains the Spaniard to Cycleworld.com. “ But we still have work to do regarding the chassis and settings. Meanwhile, in Japan they worked hard on the electronics, especially for starts and turns ».
In 2019, the start of the championship was not easy for Vinales. The secret was not to change the M1 too much, which owes a lot to the team of Fabio Quartararo in its current development. “ That was the key and we learned from them ". This will be the last year in MotoGP alongside Valentino Rossi, then he will have to face the 21-year-old Frenchman. “ I don't see it as a danger, but as additional motivation to go faster. Having a fast rider like Valentino in the box and next year Quartararo will help us further develop the M1... Valentino has a big influence in our sport and also in the Yamaha organization. I think we worked well together and learned a lot. Rossi has been my idol since I was a child and for me it was an extra motivation to be by his side » finishes the Spaniard.
