MotoGP, latest: Yamaha suspends Maverick Viñales

Shock news ahead of the Austrian MotoGP round, with the Monster Yamaha team announcing that it won’t field Maverick Viñales in the second of the races to run at the Red Bull Ring.

The release

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“Yamaha regrets to announce that Maverick Viñales’ entry to this weekend’s Austrian MotoGP event has been withdrawn by the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP team.

“The absence follows the suspension of the rider by Yamaha due to the unexplained irregular operation of the motorcycle by the rider during last weekend’s Styria MotoGP race.

“Yamaha’s decision follows an in-depth analysis of telemetry and data over the last days. Yamaha’s conclusion is that the rider’s actions could have potentially caused significant damage to the engine of his YZR-M1 bike which could have caused serious risks to the rider himself and possibly posed a danger to all other riders in the MotoGP race. The rider will not be replaced at the Austrian GP. Decisions regarding the future races will be taken after a more detailed analysis of the situation and further discussions between Yamaha and the rider”.

Could this mean an early dismissal for the Spaniard, at odds with the Japanese manufacturer for a while already and almost certain to move to Aprilia in 2022?

Translated by Heather Watson

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