Vinales outlines key area of improvement for Yamaha in MotoGP
Maverick Vinales admits his and Yamaha’s “way of working” on MotoGP race weekends needs to improve as he feels things could be done “faster” than they are currently.
The Qatar Grand Prix winner struggled to seventh in the Spanish GP last time out having been hindered by a lack of strength under braking despite feeling generally happy with the Yamaha.
Topping the post-race test at Jerez, Vinales says his team was able to make a step forward from the race but with a set-up that was “not difficult to find”.
As a result, Vinales feels the biggest issue Yamaha has to overcome now is how quickly it can evaluate new set-up ideas to ensure he is more prepared for races.
“Yeah, for sure I felt really good,” he said when asked by Autosport ahead of the French Grand Prix if he was able to make any gains at the Jerez test.
“I felt on point, which is the most important thing.
“We rode really fast, because the conditions – especially in the afternoon – were not perfect, were difficult, a lot of wind.
“But we were able to ride very fast with race set-up, so actually we ended the test with a good confidence, which is always very important and positive.
“We found many things, especially on the set-up which we needed to find on the weekend.
“So, it’s our way of working, we need to be a little bit faster to find a set-up and to have the opportunity to be faster on the race weekend because we found something not difficult to find, but we didn’t try it in the weekend.
“So, it’s something we need to work on.”
Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Team-mate Fabio Quartararo endured a tough run to 13th in the Jerez race after an arm-pump issue struck him while he was leading comfortably.
Quartararo has since undergone surgery to correct the issue and does not anticipate his recent operation to cause him any problems during his home grand prix at Le Mans.
“Yeah, it was pretty frustrating during the race because you have the pace to do it but you just don’t have enough power every single lap, you have more difficulties to brake until the moment where you have no more power and there were still more than 10 laps remaining,” he said.
“So, the first moment was losing the opportunity to win, but then it was just trying to finish the race in the points.
“So, it was the moment to have a second surgery in the arm and I’m feeling great.
“The scar is stretching a little bit. I can’t wait to ride and I’m feeling great. I think there will be no issues while riding.”
Related video
MotoGP British GP to be shown live on ITV in August
French MotoGP: Zarco fastest from Quartararo in FP2 at Le Mans
Retiring MotoGP ace Dovizioso "really didn't expect" Yamaha struggles
Retiring 15-time MotoGP race winner Andrea Dovizioso admits he "really didn't expect" to encounter the struggles he has in adapting to the Yamaha MotoGP bike.
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.
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