Mir: Vinales/Yamaha MotoGP situation like Messi’s at Barcelona
Reigning MotoGP world champion Joan Mir has likened the situation between Maverick Vinales and Yamaha to that of football legend Lionel Messi quitting Barcelona, in that “nobody knows the truth”.
On Thursday ahead of this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, Yamaha announced it had suspended Vinales and withdrawn him from the 11th round of the championship.
It stated in its press release that Vinales was suspended for “unexplained irregular operation of the motorcycle” in last weekend’s Styrian GP which could have seriously damaged his engine.
Motorsport.com reported earlier today that the team suggested Vinales deliberately tried to blow up his engine in the Styrian GP by over-revving it late on.
When asked about the situation on Thursday at Red Bull Ring, Suzuki’s Mir said he felt sorry for both parties and likened it to Messi quitting Barcelona last week as the exact story remains a mystery.
“Well, this is like what happened with Messi that nobody knows the truth,” Mir replied when asked by Motorsport.com for his thoughts on the Vinales announcement.
“So it’s better that I don’t give the opinion about one thing that I don’t know perfectly.
“So, I’m sorry for the situation in general, I’m sorry for what is happening. Yamaha doesn’t deserve this thing for sure, and also Maverick. So, I’m sorry about it.”
Maverick Vinales, Yamaha Factory Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Mir was later asked if the announcement came as a surprise to him, with the Styrian GP podium-finisher add: “All of us in this world have not been surprised that something like this could happen.
“But I am a little sad that it has reached this extreme, I do not know the whole story and it is not my role to judge anyone, because not it is my war and I have enough [going on].”
Yamaha will not field a replacement for Vinales in this weekend’s Austrian GP at the Red Bull Ring, with test rider Cal Crutchlow already on stand-in duties at Petronas SRT in place of Franco Morbidelli.
The latest chapter in the Vinales/Yamaha situation comes just over a month after he requested to have his current two-year contract with the team terminated at the end of 2021.
It is thought Vinales will join Aprilia in 2021.
The rider is yet to comment on his suspension and withdrawal from this weekend’s Austrian GP.
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