Skip to content

VINALES BEING TEMPTED TO MOVE TO YAMAHA | NEWS

Maverick Vinales is being irresistibly tempted to reject Suzuki's upgraded multi-million dollar offer for 2017 and make a dramatic switch to Yamaha and their dominant YZR-M1.

The move would place Vinales alongside superstar Valentino Rossi as a replacement for Yamaha’s triple world champion Jorge Lorenzo.

Rossi and Lorenzo delivered the perfect advertisement for the M1 switch with an extraordinary 1-2 at Jerez in the Spanish Grand Prix.

Vinales finished 16 seconds behind Rossi in sixth place on a Suzuki GSX-RR with teammate Aleix Espargaro just ahead in fifth

The nakedly ambitious Vinales told AMCN the Yamaha Jerez domination adds to Yamaha’s appeal and will impact a decision that heavily favours Yamaha.
“For sure this result influences me, when you see first and second in this race (by Yamaha) with Aleix and myself in fifth and sixth then you think about this,” Vinales said.

“But I trust on Suzuki and that they can show me the results.”

Diplomacy aside Vinales has made no secret that he is impatient to get on a championship winner such as the M1 that has won two out four races so far this season. It will a big surprise if he stays at Suzuki.

“I think my place is amongst the top riders and I want a bike on which I can win the world championship,” he said.

“Now I want to clear my future fast because Lorenzo has decided to move to Ducati so it is important for me to finalise it and concentrate on racing.”

Suzuki’s final and increased offer has been designed to counter the race winning attraction of the M1 and opportunity being teammate to Rossi.

“We want Maverick to stay but it must be because he believes in our GSX-RR project and that we want to give him what he needs to win, we want to know by the next race in Le Mans” said Suzuki boss Davide Brivio.

vinales-img1