Vinales laments agenda behind out-of-context MotoGP future quotes
Maverick Vinales has criticised the way comments he made about his MotoGP future were taken out of context, claiming “people always try to put me in conflict with my team”.


In a snippet of an interview with DAZN released by the network on Friday, Vinales - when asked how he would approach his future - was quoted as saying: “Calmly, very calmly. I don’t want to make a mistake again”.
He added: “I want to make a good decision, really take the path that best suits me, because, in the end, these years I have had to adapt a lot, especially my riding style, and trying to choose the option that best suits me so that I can fight for the world championship.
“It doesn't mean that this year I won't have the opportunity. But it frustrates me that I can't get my potential out.
“In the end, there are times when you don't make the best decisions in life. A few years ago, I don't think I made the best decision, so I won't be wrong again.”
This led many to believe Vinales was referring to signing a two-year deal with Yamaha for 2021-2022 right at the beginning of 2020, which followed a spell in which Ducati was interested in his services.
But Vinales later clarified on Friday evening on his Instagram feed that the mistakes he was referring happened in his early grand prix career.
One of them was his decision to quit the Avintia Moto3 team three rounds from the end of the 2012 season, while he was still a title contender, over a dispute about the squad’s performance and its unwillingness to release him at the end of the year.
Vinales joined the Calvo KTM squad in 2013 and won the title, moving up to Moto2 with Pons in 2014 where he spent one season before signing for Suzuki in MotoGP.

Maverick Vinales, 2014 Moto2 Pons
Photo by: Motorsport Images
As part of his Instagram statement, Vinales said his move to MotoGP after just one year in Moto2 was another of the mistakes he referred to in his DAZN interview.
Read Also:
Asked about the interview on Saturday after qualifying sixth for the Catalan Grand Prix, Vinales says it is “very difficult” for him to do interviews as he feels all of his comments are taken “in the worst way”.
“More than anything I want to clarify that I was quite general, it is very difficult to do interviews, people always take it in the worst way, they always try to put me in conflict with my people and my team,” he said.
“I just wanted to specify that in 2012 I made a mistake and when I made the jump to MotoGP, maybe I would have had to wait a little longer, although I recognise that signing for Suzuki was a good decision.”
Vinales went on to say he “trusts” in the Yamaha project and doesn’t “rule out renewing” with the Japanese marque after 2022.
The controversy comes after Vinales has received criticism for his performances so far in 2021 relative to new team-mate Fabio Quartararo, which has prompted a change in crew chief for a second time during his Yamaha career with ex-Valentino Rossi man Silvano Galbusera in his corner this weekend.
Analysis: The MotoGP enigma who needs to step up at Catalunya
Vinales’ displeasure with how his DAZN comments were taken also fits into a wider narrative in world sport regarding the relationship between the media and professional athletes, in the wake of tennis player Naomi Osaka’s decision to cancel media duties at the French Open to protect her mental health.
She ultimately withdrew from the tournament earlier this week after being fined for shelving her media duties, prompting Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton to call for young athletes to receive better support in dealing with the media.
Related video

MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix – Start time, how to watch & more
Morbidelli: MotoGP riders should prepare to “suffer” in Catalan GP

Latest news
2022 MotoGP title fight now “very tight”, says Aleix Espargaro
Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro believes the current MotoGP championship picture following the British Grand Prix has set up “a very, very tight” title battle.
Pol Espargaro doesn’t think Honda is reacting to MotoGP woes
Pol Espargaro isn’t sure the problems Honda is facing at races in MotoGP this season are being relayed back to Japan as “we’re not getting the material we need”.
Marc Marquez to return to MotoGP paddock at Austrian GP for Honda progress update
Marc Marquez will return to the MotoGP paddock at the Austrian Grand Prix to check up on Honda’s progress as he continues his own rehabilitation.
Rins “destroyed” after “not normal” grip issues end Silverstone MotoGP win hopes
Suzuki’s Alex Rins says he was “destroyed” after a “not normal” drop in grip shuffled him from the lead of the MotoGP British Grand Prix to seventh by the end.
The signs Quartararo’s 2022 MotoGP title is slipping away from him
Prior to the summer break, the 2022 MotoGP title looked like it was Fabio Quartararo’s to lose. But a crash at Assen and the consequential penalty he had to serve last weekend at Silverstone stopped him from capitalising on a main rival’s injury woes, while a resurgence from another, plus the rise of a former team-mate, look set to conspire against the Yamaha rider
Why Marquez’s toughest MotoGP foe is stopping at the right time
On the eve of the British Grand Prix, Andrea Dovizioso announced that he will be retiring from MotoGP after September’s San Marino GP. The timing of his departure raised eyebrows, but his reasoning remains sensible and what has happened this year should not diminish a hard-built legacy
Why a Suzuki refugee feels he deserves MotoGP's toughest challenge
Alex Rins’ MotoGP future was plunged into sudden doubt when Suzuki elected to quit the series at the end of 2022. Securing a deal with Honda to join LCR, he will now tread a path that many have fallen off from. But it was a move he felt his status deserved, and it’s a challenge – he tells Autosport - he faces with his eyes wide open…
How Formula 1 has driven MotoGP's changing nature
The hiring of technicians from Formula 1 has clearly contributed to a recent change in the MotoGP landscape, with the role of engineers gaining greater significance relative to the riders. Here's how this shift has come about
The revolution behind Aprilia's rise from MotoGP tail-ender to pack-leader
Coinciding with the arrival of Massimo Rivola as head of its MotoGP division, Aprilia has undergone an internal revolution that has spurred it from occupying last place in the team standings to leading the table in the space of just two years. Those entrenched in the project reveal how the ex-Ferrari F1 chief has achieved the dramatic turnaround
The battle Yamaha's wayward son is fighting to be fast again in MotoGP
Franco Morbidelli was long overdue a promotion to factory machinery when it finally came late last year, having finished runner-up in the 2020 standings on an old Yamaha package. But since then the Italian has been a shadow of his former self as he toils to adapt to the 2022 M1, and recognises that he needs to change his style to be quick on it
Why Honda and Yamaha have been left behind in MotoGP's new era
The once all-conquering Japanese manufacturers are going through a difficult period in MotoGP this season. With Suzuki quitting, Honda struggling to get near the podium and Yamaha only enjoying success courtesy of Fabio Quartararo, Japanese manufacturers have been left in the dust by their European counterparts. Key paddock figures explain why.
Who is Valentino Rossi’s newest MotoGP star?
Valentino Rossi’s protégés stole the show at Assen as Francesco Bagnaia stormed to victory to arrest a recent barren run. But it was the rider in second, on Bagnaia’s old bike, who had all eyes on him. Securing his and the VR46 team’s first MotoGP podium, Marco Bezzecchi has all the characteristics that made his mentor special