Maverick Viñales extends Yamaha deal until 2022
A two-year extension will keep Viñales at the team until the end of the 2022 MotoGP season
motogp.com
Yamaha has announced that Maverick Viñales has signed a new two-year extension, keeping him with the team until the end of the 2022 season.
Viñales has been a Yamaha rider since the 2017 season and has scored a fourth and two third-place finishes in the championship since joining the factory outfit.
After moving from Suzuki, Viñales has notched up six race victories including his debut race with Yamaha at the 2017 Qatar Grand Prix.
Last season, the 25-year-old equalled his best championship finish with another third-place, notching up 211 points, two race victories and a further five podium finishes.
“I’m extremely happy because I feel like I get to keep ‘my own team’,” the Spaniard said of the announcement.
“This will be the second year with my current crew, and after this I have two more years to look forward to.
“For me, it was very important to make this announcement before the season started, because I’m highly motivated and want to be able to fully concentrate on the 2020 season.
“There were no reasons not to stay with Yamaha, because they feel like family. Yamaha is giving me a lot of support and, as I said, I have ‘my own team’, which is something I really need.
Related content
“Our main objective is, as always, to be World Champion and try to bring Yamaha the number one honour again.
“I would like to say ‘Thank you’ to Yamaha for their faith in me. They are giving me a lot of confidence, and I really have trust in our partnership. I think we will both be growing very fast and we will keep pushing.”
Yamaha motor racing managing director Lin Jarvis added that with Viñales’ talent and the team’s determination, it would be able to fight for a Moto GP world title.
“We brought Maverick into the Factory team in 2017, knowing he is a special talent,”
“He is highly motivated and dedicates himself to being physically strong and is always ready to give his maximum and extract the best from his YZR-M1.
“In his first three seasons with us, he has given Yamaha 6 wins, 19 podiums, and 100% of his commitment. Now, as the YZR-M1 is improving race by race, we foresee a very bright future for him at Yamaha.
“Maverick’s decision to sign with the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Team for two further years so early shows the strength of our mutual appreciation and underlines the shared conviction that together we can challenge for the MotoGP World Championship Title.”