GP Doha, Viñales: “Rossi still a key player, little has changed in Yamaha”

GP Doha, Viñales: “Rossi still a key player, little has changed in Yamaha”

The Spaniard hopes to do it again this weekend in the Doha GP. He seems fairly relaxed, but what is the reason for this?

02.04.2021 ( Aggiornata il 02.04.2021 10:03 )

MotoGP is back for round 2 of the 2021 season, and so is race one winner Maverick Viñales. The Yamaha rider is keen and ready to take another step forward to improve his M1, along with team-mate Fabio Quartararo, fifth in the opening round.

 New weekend, new race


“I think it’s too soon to make predictions about the season – said Maverick during the press conference - we need to ride at other tracks to understand if the bike is consistent. I can say that I’m very pleased though, because the bike immediately worked well in some sections, while in others I struggle more to pass. After the Qatar race, we’ll go to Portimão where we’ll see what improvements we’ve really made here at Losail”.

The Yamaha rider then spoke more about the upcoming round: “This weekend will be different, we can’t rest on our laurels. The pressure motivates you, and so many things will change this weekend, but not the speed, and that’s the most important thing”.

 “I’m angry!”


In the first race, Viñales showed that, despite not making the best start, he will still able to win and this is very important: “My start was good, or rather the numbers looked good, but our rivals were fantastic. I couldn’t do more with we what we have. We’ll try to improve but let’s say that the start device makes an enormous difference. The Ducatis have started out very fast compared to last year, we’ll try to make this improvement. I think Yamaha is working hard to have it as soon as possible, but of course I’m angry because it complicates the race! It’s different when you start up front, the race isn’t easier but you can definitely manage the tyres better”.

 “Vale is still an important player”


Maverick was then asked if he’s more relaxed in the garage now that he’s no longer sharing it with Valentino Rossi: “I think my life has more stability, I know what I have, and this is important. Last year was difficult in many ways, like the Austria race, and after much reflection, I know that I want to become world champion. For the rest, not much has changed with Rossi having gone. Vale remains an important player for Yamaha, so not much has changed”.

 Tyre issues for Quartararo


Team-mate Fabio Quartararo was also present at the press conference: “Honestly, Sunday’s race was a tough one for me – he said – At first I had great pace but then the rear type dropped off and I slowed down. There was a lot of rear spinning. Last year, I would have lost a lot more in a similar situation, while this year I made up time by braking hard. It’s OK anyway, this weekend I’ll try to ride more smoothly which will help a lot”.

Translated by Heather Watson

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