MotoGP, Jarvis on Viñales: “I don’t know if he has the mental strength to win”

The world title Fabio Quartararo gifted Yamaha in 2021 put an end to a six-year fast, the manufacturer's previous win dating back to 2015, when it was Jorge Lorenzo to lift the trophy. Fabio's victory went some way to masking the controversy regarding the team’s split with Maverick Viñales, which occurred following the events of the Styrian GP.

Yamaha managing director Lin Jarvis looks back at the season and analyses the phases that led up to the split.

Frustration and anger

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Ahead of the Dutch GP, it already looked like things weren’t heading in the right direction: “When he told us, at Assen, that he didn’t want to see out his contract, we were all very surprised”, Jarvis tells Moto Revue. “But I accepted his decision, because I’m not in favour of forcing people to stay if they want to go. If someone’s not happy, they should go and do something else”.

Then came the Styrian GP, when Maverick purposely over-revved the engine of his M1. "Frustration and anger led him to behave in way that is unacceptable for a professional”, continues Jarvis. "We had no choice but to suspend him, and that marked the end of our relationship".

"Viñales has the talent to win the world title, but I don’t know if he has the mental strength. But it’s not something we can change, and it’s no longer our problem”, concludes the manager.

Translated by Heather Watson

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