Yamaha signed Fabio Quartararo early last year to take Rossi’s place for 2021. The veteran Italian remained a factory-backed rider with a switch to SRT.
Vinales believes that Yamaha has had no unit in its ranks for “the last three years” and now there is no longer any division in the garage between “Valentino’s team” and “my team”. in 2021.
“I think team unity is very important to us because for the past three years everyone has done it alone,” Vinales said on Monday during Yamaha’s inaugural event in 2021.
“We weren’t all one and I think with Esteban [Garcia, crew chief], also Lin [Jarvis, managing director] and Maio [Meregalli, team manager]We try to make the 20 or 24 people who work in a team into one team.
“And for me that’s more important to keep me in a good mood and feeling good.
“After the past few years it was difficult because it was Valentino’s team, my team.
“Now I think we have the opportunity to be a complete team and go in the same direction with both drivers and achieve what we can.”
Yamaha struggled with inconsistencies in 2020, with Vinales noting that it was “hard to believe the bike can change so much from one track to the next”.
He added that with more attention to finer details, “the results will come because we have the speed, we have good qualifying, we have good races, we have a good rhythm”.
Quartararo agrees with Vinales’ comments, noting that their similar levels of performance should contribute to the development of the M1 during the 2020 campaign.
“Both in Jerez [of us] Made 1-2, then we were always together at the end of the championship; When I was seventh, he was eighth or vice versa, so always super close, “said Quartararo when he was asked by Autosport for Vinales’ comments.
“At the end of the year we never had a factory bike in P1 or P2 and then all the rest in P11. We were all down or all up so we had more or less the same complaints and I think we can do a good job together .
“It’s always difficult to make the same comment because we have different driving styles. But we sure have the same problems and I think we have to push in the same way and I think that’s great.”
“Of course Maverick is my main competitor, but if we can fight for one and two instead of eighth and ninth, it’s much better to work together. I think it’s going to be a good rivalry and make the bike better.”
