Yamaha has confirmed that Maverick Viñales has signed for a further two years with Yamaha Factory Racing’s MotoGP team.
This means that the 25-year-old Spanish rider will continue to race for Yamaha through seasons 2021-2022.
According to Viñales, staying with his team was an easy decision.
“I’m extremely happy because I feel like I get to keep ‘my own team’,” he said.
“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 honor again.”
Since he joined the team, Viñales has taken six wins and 19 podiums, but both he and Yamaha Motor Racing managing director Lin Jarvis are confident that a World Championship title can be achieved.
“In his first three seasons with us, he has given Yamaha 6 wins, 19 podiums, and 100 per cent of his commitment,” said Mr Jarvis.
“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.”
On February 6, Yamaha and Viñales will start their first MotoGP test of 2020 in Sepang, Malaysia.
View the full 2020 MotoGP season calendar here.
Spencer has a keen eye for hard news, and does some of his best living on deadline day. He loves more than anything to travel on his motorcycle, and is adamant that Melbourne Bitter is a world-class lager. He also knows how to operate the big computery thing in the office. By night, Spencer plays guitar with Melbourne punk outfit LOUTS.
