A bombshell has hit the headlines just one day before the start of the Austrian MotoGP. Yamaha Racing has issued a stern press release to announce that Maverick Viñales will not be competing this weekend at the Red Bull Ring Circuit. The team has decided to withdraw the Spaniard from the eleventh round of the MotoGP World Championship.  

Yamaha Racing announced that Maverick Viñales will not be competing this weekend´s Austrian GP. The Japanese team has decided to withdraw the Spaniard from the eleventh round of the season due to the unexplained irregular operation of the motorcycle by the rider during last weekend’s Styrian GP race. 

According to the statement, the drastic decision was based on an analysis carried out on the Spanish M1 at the end of the last Styrian GP. Apparently, an “unexplained irregular operation of the motorcycle” may have been detected.

https://twitter.com/YamahaMotoGP/status/1425846921156046855

In other words, the text suggests that Maverick Viñales the man from Girona may have over-revved his M1 in a deliberate attempt to damage the engine. Worst of all is the accusation that Maverick Viñales’ alleged recklessness would have posed a potential risk for himself, as well as for those around him. 

The team of the tuning forks has also said that they will not be replacing the Spaniard with any other rider this weekend. As for the sporting future of the Catalan pilot within the team, nothing else has been said.

There has also been no mention of Viñales’ participation in any of the races remaining this season. Before a final decision is made about the incident, the team is waiting for a more in-depth study of the telemetric data emerging from the Spaniard’s machine. 

https://twitter.com/DAZN_ES/status/1425841251656642564

Viñales and Yamaha: From bad to worse 

The news has spread like wildfire through the paddock and has shaken the foundations of the World Championship. Understandably, such a murky and controversial matter indirectly affects the very image of the whole competition.

In fact, there has not been a similar event in the history of the sport since the time that John Kocinski idled his Suzuki at the 1993 Dutch GP until the engine blew up. 

The fact that the relationship between Maverick Viñales and his Scuderia was already practically broken is no secret. This has been a season to forget for the Spaniard whose performance, despite starting with a victory in Qatar, has plummeted; a circumstance the pilot has complained openly and bitterly about. 

https://twitter.com/DAZN_ES/status/1425889477118025732

The crisis reached its peak with the announcement of Maverick Viñales terminating his contract for 2022, despite the fact that he still had half of the 2021 season left. With no sign of the conflict improving and with the #12 constantly speaking badly of his own team, Yamaha decided to sign off his departure.

The Japanese team was hoping this move would calm things down until the conclusion of the current season but, in light of recent events, this has obviously not been the case. 

https://twitter.com/YamahaMotoGP/status/1425768288445927429

A supposed fault which is blowing up a professional relationship 

The latest chapter of the ongoing quarrel between Yamaha and Viñales took place at the last GP of Styria. Before the warm-up lap previous to the re-start of the race, Maverick Viñales’ bike suffered a sudden and unexpected breakdown. 

As a result, Maverick Viñales had to start from the pit lane, losing any chance of shining at a race where he was feeling visibly comfortable. In fact, before the accident between Lorenzo Salvadori and Dani Pedrosa, he had performed a great comeback and placed himself in the top positions. 

The red flag followed by his technical issue during the second start sent him all the way to the back of the pack and he didn’t even get to see the checkered flag. Now, it seems that everything has finally blown up between the two. 

Images of Maverick Viñales: Yamaha MotoGP.