Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, all five days of MotoGP testing for 2021 have been restricted to the Losail International Circuit in Qatar, while the first two rounds of the campaign will also take place there.
Yamaha has generally done well in both the Qatar test and the Grand Prix in recent years, and Vinales is aware of this fact, masking the problems with the M1 that could arise if the championship started with the Grand Prix going to Europe from Portugal.
Speaking exclusively to Motorsport.com ahead of the first two days of testing this weekend, Vinales says that Yamaha “needs to be smart enough to understand what it’s going to be like on the next few tracks” as it works through its Qatar program.
“Yes, of course, because we will only be testing on one track,” he said when asked if this preseason was the toughest he will face.
“But Qatar has a specialty: from two to four o’clock the track is dusty, so there is no grip.
“So we’ll see if we can work on it during these hours and if we can make something clear to Portimao and the rest of the season.
“It will be difficult because in a month in Qatar everyone will be driving fast. Everyone, all drivers.
“So it will be difficult to understand where you are, but we have to be smart enough to understand how we will be on the next few tracks.
“So we’ll see. I’ll tell you a little more about it after the test.”
A lack of grip has been a common problem for Yamaha riders since MotoGP switched to Michelin tires in 2016.
One of the problems that handicapped Vinales was having to focus on developing parts on race weekends in 2020 while building his own weekend.
He felt that this was causing him to “get lost” too often and saw this as the area where new test driver Cal Crutchlow can really help – along with his no-nonsense manner.
When asked if he agrees with former teammate Valentino Rossi’s comments that Crutchlow will “make the difference” for Yamaha, Vinales said: “I feel just like Valentino, I think he can make the difference because for me Most of the problems were like that. On the race weekends I had to try a lot of things and when I try a lot of things I lose myself.
“Besides, I don’t have enough time to work on the track with myself.
“He’ll make all the difference I think. He can say ‘yes or no’. This is the most important thing.
“I think Cal is fine with that, so I have a lot of faith in Cal.”