Spanish MotoGP star Maverick Vinales has been given the “don’t come Sunday” message from his employers and his racing future with any brand may be in doubt.
The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing Team has this week been sensationally withdrawn Viñales from this weekend’s Austrian MotoGP event.
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 in Austria.
Yamaha’s decision follows an in-depth analysis of telemetry and data over the past few days.
Yamaha’s conclusion is that the Spanish 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.
He 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.
Viñales is currently sixth in the MotoGP World Championship with 95-points.
Back in June, Viñales and Yamaha announced that they would part ways at the end of season 2021, after five seasons of racing together.
Is it possible that Viñales’ dodgy, potentially engine-exploding actions really a two-fingered salute to Yamaha?
It is rumoured that, frustrated at technical issues, Viñales’ may have been deliberately over-revving his engine in the closing laps of the race.
We might now believe now that the 26-year-old Spaniard has run his last race, at least for the Yamaha brand.
Although still to confirm his 2022 plans, it is expected that Vinales and fellow Spaniard Aleix Espargaro will be team-mates at Aprilia next season, but an official announcement is yet to be made.
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