Maverick Vinales starts in Aprilia for the 2022 MotoGP season

(Motorsport-Total.com) – Maverick Vinales starts in April of the 2022 MotoGP season. A day after the second race of the weekend in Austria, Aprilia has confirmed the contract signing of the former Moto3 World Champion. Next year, Vinales will compete alongside Alex Espargaro in the newly formed Italian factory team.

“We are very pleased to have signed Maverick Vinales, a driver of the highest caliber and one of the greatest talents in the first division,” said Aprilia race director Massimo Rivola.

“Our project has been enriched by Maverick. He is the world champion who has confirmed his talent as the best rider in MotoGP,” Rivola enthuses about the newcomer. “I am confident that he, like Alex, will take on this promising project.”

© Motorsport Pictures

Maverick Vinales signed a one-year contract Zoom

“Signing Maverick does not mean we are moving away from Lorenzo Savadore. He remains an integral part of the Aprilia racing family,” explains Aprilia Racing Director.

Big tension in the factory Yamaha team

Even before the summer break, it was clear that Vinales and Yamaha would go their separate ways after the current season. The contract, valid for 2022, was terminated amicably after backstage and backstage feuds.

This was preceded by controversial comments from Vinales towards Yamaha after the disastrous race at Sachsenring, where Vinales crossed the finish line in 19th place. From Assen there were indications that Yamaha’s fifth season would be Vinales’ last.

In the first race after the summer break at Red Bull, the situation escalated after that. Onboard recordings show Vinales intentionally turning his Yamaha M1 engine into a governor. The Japanese engineers had already used the data records to determine what Vinales did before he stopped his M1 on a pit one before the end of the race.

The Spaniard’s Yamaha was then suspended for the second weekend at Red Bull Range. Vinales watched the action from the edge of the track. It is not clear if the nine-time MotoGP race winner will return to the team or if he will return on a MotoGP motorcycle during winter testing.