Quartararo was the best rider in Yamaha’s own stable with four wins in the first nine races in 2021 and had a lead of 34 points in the championship before the summer break.
After his breathtaking GP victory in Qatar, Vinales did not come close to the podium until the Dutch TT, where he was only able to convert the pole to second place behind Quartararo due to a bad start.
The relationship between Vinales and Yamaha deteriorated irreparably in 2021, with the latter requesting the termination of its current two-year contract at the end of the current campaign.
Vinales is expected to join Aprilia in 2022, but admitted last week that his future was “at a standstill” following his decision to leave Yamaha.
Speaking to Sky Sports Italy, Lorenzo – who replaced Vinales at Yamaha in 2017 – said the split between Vinales and Yamaha came as a surprise and feels that his unfulfilled potential has led him to “desperately take a different path”.
“Everyone knew that the relationship between Yamaha and Vinales was not easy, but nobody expected this breakup,” said Lorenzo.
“Vinales suffered a lot from the speed of Quartararo, who was almost always superior to him.
“It’s not easy. For him, who has all the potential, the fact that he hasn’t won a title at Yamaha in five years has made him desperate to take a different path.
“Aprilia has improved but it is not certain that he will go there. He could go to Suzuki or Ducati. We’ll see what he does. “
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Ducati has already ruled out adding Vinales to its squad for the next year, after being interested in him for his works squad for 2021, while Suzuki’s 2022 roster is already firmly linked to Joan Mir and Alex Rins.
Vinales hasn’t ruled out a sabbatical in 2022, but doesn’t think it would be the best situation for him.
Lorenzo also commented on the title race in 2021 and stated that Quartararo had “matured” a lot compared to last year and was “absolutely the favorite” to win.
“With Marc Marquez for more than a year [with injury]”2020 was a bit of a strange championship,” added Lorenzo.
“Quartararo has managed to mature his head a lot and has become stronger than last season.
“He’s absolutely the favorite for the title. I am sure that Marquez will gradually become strong again. “