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MotoGP, Vinales: “I’ll get vaccinated and the booster between the two GPs. It’s a great opportunity.”

“We worked a lot and well, even manageability with a full tank is good. I haven’t talked to Crutchlow, but he’s working well and helping us a lot.”

MotoGP: Vinales: “I’ll get vaccinated and the booster between the two GPs. It’s a great opportunity.”

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Maverick Vinales is not known for making impactful statements. He’s usually rather monotonous, whether things go  well or not. He remained in the pits due to the sandstorm that made the Losail track impracticable, but he was able to give rather precise indications on the state of the art of Yamaha’s work.

We worked hard and well,” was his opinion. “We understand where we are. The direction is right and the manageability of the bike with a full tank is also good. I don’t know how we’ll be during the rest of the season. We have to wait for the first race to understand our position. But I rode with the new frame yesterday, and I was comfortable starting from the first lap, which is a good sign. After the tests, my impressions were positive. We believe we’re fast, especially in the beginning of the race.

Four test days answered many questions, but obviously not all of them.

I haven’t tried the new rear tire,”  Maverick specifies. “ I haven’t had the time but, at the moment, the situation is good, even if everything can change in the race, yet, the results have motivated us a lot. I feel ready. We have enough pace and speed. Now we have to achieve our goals. During the tests, there was a lot of grip. In the race, it’ll be very different, but the Yamaha has improved and I feel  relaxed.

No problems at all?

We have to start faster to compete with our rivals. I haven’t talked to Crutchlow. I didn’t have time. But he’s doing a good job because he takes a lot of pressure off us during the tests so that we can concentrate on something else.

If the Yamaha M1 2021 goes well – the unofficial one used by Franco Morbidelli – at least judging by the times, it’s definitely no less important.

The main difference between our M1s and theirs is in the engine,” he reveals. “Franky’s bike rides better in corners, but I don’t remember well, because I haven’t tried it in  a long time. But we have to be able to push from the first corner.

The difficulty in overtaking emerges in Maverick’s words.

“I couldn’t check what level we’re at. It can only be done during the race because, when I'd come up on someone, maybe they weren’t pushing or they had a used tire. It’s our weak point. We know that.”

With a lot of grip, however, the Yamaha loses less on the straight because, by taking advantage of its cornering speed, you can open the throttle earlier.  So, our impression is that these tests have not really offered a demonstration of the real numbers on the field but,  for everyone, and also for Vinales, there are now other concerns... namely, Covid, and taking advantage of the great opportunity offered by Qatar to be able to get vaccinated.

I’m not worried about any side effects,”  he claimed. “I’m not afraid of the consequences, and I don’t want to be one of those who gets it when he’s home. So I’ll have the first dose before returning, and then the second between the two Grand Prixs. It’s a great opportunity. From Monday to Friday, there’s enough time to recover if I have any side effects.”

 

Translated by Leila Myftija
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