Viñales re-signs with Yamaha for 2021-22

Debuting in MotoGP with Team Suzuki Ecstar in 2014, Viñales spent two years with that team and achieved his first MotoGP race win at Silverstone in 2016 before switching to the Yamaha Factory Racing Team in 2017, winning on debut with the new team at Losail.

To date, Viñales has achieved six race wins on the YZR-M1, with a best championship placing of third in 2017 and 2019. Those six wins could have been seven after a dramatic last lap fall at last year’s Australian round at Phillip Island after leading for most of the race.

“I’m extremely happy because I feel like I get to keep ’my own team’. This will be the second year with my current crew, and after this I have two more years to look forward to. I’m so excited!” Viñales said at the re-signing.

“For me, it was very important to make this announcement before the season started, because I‘m highly motivated and want to be able to fully concentrate on the 2020 season.

“Yamaha is giving me a lot of support and, as I said, I have ’my own team’, which is something I really need. We need to keep working and be very strong. Our main objective is, as always, to be World Champion and try to bring Yamaha the number one honour again.”

The 25-year-old will have a new team mate in 2021, when Fabio Quartararo steps up to the factory Yamaha team, replacing Valentino Rossi.