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Maverick Vinales has finally been confirmed as joining Aprilia’s MotoGP team for 2022.
The successful transfer to the Italian manufacturer was announced in a team statement on Monday morning, six weeks after it first emerged that Vinales was heading to the team.
It means that he will replace Lorenzo Savadori for 2022, after breaking his two-year Yamaha deal a year early.
Team boss Massimo Rivola said Vinales was exactly what Aprilia needed for its continued progress towards the front in MotoGP.
“We are extremely happy to announce that we have signed Maverick Vinales, a very high-level rider and one of the purest talents in the premier category,” said Rivola.
“Our project has now been enriched with the value that Maverick brings – a world champion who has confirmed his talent as a top rider in MotoGP – at a time of great change, after bringing a completely revamped bike to the track and having consistently established ourselves in the group of protagonists, we are also facing a switch in status as a factory team now, in order to take Aprilia to success.
“We are honoured to be able to make all of our best skills available to Vinales along with our enthusiasm and our passion.
“I am confident that, like Aleix, he will embrace this extremely high-potential project.”
Vinales will join Aprilia on a one-year deal for next year, a sensible option for the team as it looks to keep its options open by keeping its riders on the same cycle of contracts as the rest of MotoGP’s frontrunners.
Vinales has been linked to Aprilia since officially parting ways with Yamaha after the Dutch TT in June, but the weeks went on without any official confirmation, in part due to the turmoil surrounding his departure from Yamaha after four and a half seasons of mixed results.
He was suspended from this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix last Thursday after being accused by the team of attempting to deliberately blow up the bike’s engine, in what he admitted was a moment of anger and frustration as he issued an apology for his actions over the weekend.
The news of Vinales’ move to Aprilia was originally set to be announced on the day his suspension was revealed so was delayed until this morning.
Despite some speculation, Vinales’ rash actions at Yamaha have not jeopardised his future with Aprilia.
It remains to be seen when Vinales will make his debut for the team, however, as his Yamaha future remains muddy.
He’s still officially suspended, it’s widely believed by The Race’s sources in the MotoGP paddock that he will imminently be sacked permanently.
Should that happen, there is a potential option for him to replace Savadori before the end of the current season.
That is a move that would likely require Yamaha’s consent, but should it be happy to push him out of the door, it could be a price worth paying to peacefully break a contract with him following last week’s high-profile falling out.
Rivola added that “the arrival of Maverick in no way distances Lorenzo Savadori from the team, as he will remain an integral part of the Aprilia Racing family.”
