Vinales signs surprise new Yamaha MotoGP works deal
Yamaha has announced it has retained the services of Maverick Vinales for two more years, marking the completion of the first major deal of the 2020 MotoGP silly season.

The 2013 Moto3 world champion joined Yamaha from Suzuki in 2017, and has so far tallied up six wins – including two last year - on the YZR-M1 across his three seasons with the team.
Vinales’s current contract was agreed before the team’s launch event at the start of 2018, though his uneven form during that campaign made a repeat of such an early signing for Yamaha seem unlikely.
Commenting on his new deal, Vinales says he didn’t want his 2021 future weighing on his mind during the early phase of the season and saw “no reason not to stay with Yamaha”.
“I‘m extremely happy because I feel like I get to keep ’my own team‘,” said Vinales, who finished third in the rider standings last year.
“This will be the second year with my current crew, and after this I have two more years to look forward to.
“I‘m so excited! I think that if we keep working really hard we are heading the right way.
“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. I don‘t want to spend too much time thinking about the future.
“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.
“We need to keep working and be very strong. Our main objective is, as always, to be world champion and try to bring Yamaha the number one honour again.
“I will try my best. For sure, I will give everything I have to make our team proud too."
Vinales had been linked to a potential move to Ducati, with the Italian marque not ruling out the possibility when asked about it last year.
This announcement now casts some doubt on Valentino Rossi’s future inside the factory Yamaha MotoGP team, with last year’s Petronas SRT rookie sensation Fabio Quartararo highly likely to be given a promotion to the works squad.
Rossi has previously stated he wants to see how he performs in the opening races before committing to a career extension, and also didn’t rule out moving to SRT if there was no space for him at the works team.
Yamaha will officially launch its 2020 season on the eve of the first test of the year at Sepang in Malaysia on February 6.

Maverick Vinales, Yamaha Factory Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Previous article
Petrucci reveals late-2019 crisis of confidence
Next article
Quartararo set to replace Rossi at Yamaha in 2021

About this article
Series | MotoGP |
Drivers | Maverick Viñales |
Teams | Yamaha Factory Racing |
Author | Lewis Duncan |
Vinales signs surprise new Yamaha MotoGP works deal
Trending
Repsol Honda Team - Pol Espargaró Q&A
Repsol Honda Team - Marc Marquez Q&A
Why Alex Marquez doesn't care about 'shutting up' MotoGP critics
Alex Marquez's form was one of MotoGP 2020's biggest surprises and, by firmly stepping out of his six-time world champion brother Marc's shadow, he proved a few people wrong. Not that he cares about this, as he tells Lewis Duncan
How Yamaha's new MotoGP era can unchain Vinales
After the electrifying start to his Yamaha MotoGP career in 2017, Maverick Vinales has struggled for consistency. Many anticipate that the arrival of Fabio Quartararo could spell disaster, but the departure of Valentino Rossi could be just the impetus he needs.
Does KTM really need 'super engine' for MotoGP title challenge?
Fears from rival MotoGP manufacturers that KTM would build a 'super engine' for 2021 have ultimately come to nothing with the revealation that the RC16 hasn't been radically changed over the winter. But does it really need that to win the title?
How Ducati's latest Aussie union can return it to MotoGP glory
Australians on Ducatis is an iconic partnership, the marque's last one yielding its sole MotoGP crown to date. But its latest Aussie union with the often underestimated Jack Miller can end this drought.
The "balls out" battle between MotoGP's true greats
Senna vs Prost is regularly cited as motorsport's greatest rivalry. But it can easily be argued Rainey vs Schwantz can stake that claim. That rivalry was in full swing during the 1991 500cc season, remembered fondly by both stars 30 years on...
The "warrior" MotoGP rookie KTM was right to back
The 2020 MotoGP campaign featured a standout pair of rookies, but one flew under the radar as he adjusted to a shock step-up armed with very little racing experience. However as his veteran team boss explains, the faith shown in him was not misplaced
Why Suzuki's Brivio replacement must come from within
With its charismatic leader Davide Brivio leaving for Formula 1, the Suzuki MotoGP squad he turned into a world championship-winning force in 2020 has a major recruitment headache that it needs to resolve carefully.
Why Alpine's latest signing could be its best hope of F1 glory
The return of Fernando Alonso to the renamed Alpine team is a sure sign of the team's ambition. But its latest appointment from MotoGP could be an even bigger coup as it seeks to end a barren run stretching back to Alonso's 2006 world title