Maverick Vinales has admitted that he regrets leaving Yamaha during the 2021 MotoGP season, believing he would have gained more by staying rather than moving to Aprilia.
The Spanish rider joined Yamaha from Suzuki in 2017 and enjoyed an impressive start, winning three races early in the season. However, his form became inconsistent in the years that followed, and victories became harder to come by after 2018.
A difficult 2021 campaign led to rising tensions between Vinales and Yamaha, with both sides agreeing to end their partnership a year earlier than planned. The situation escalated when Vinales was dismissed with immediate effect after deliberately over-revving his engine during the Styrian Grand Prix.
Vinales moved to Aprilia for the final races of 2021 and stayed with the manufacturer until the end of 2024, before switching to Tech3 KTM. Reflecting on his decisions during a podcast with Jorge Lorenzo, now his rider coach, Vinales acknowledged that leaving Yamaha may not have been the best choice.
He explained that although he wanted a fresh environment at the time, in hindsight he believes remaining with Yamaha would have benefited him more. He also recalled his experience racing alongside Valentino Rossi, describing it as both inspiring and challenging due to Rossi’s influence within the team.
Vinales pointed to 2017 as a missed opportunity to fight for the world title, feeling that Yamaha ignored his advice to keep the bike configuration he had tested successfully before the season. Subsequent changes, along with tyre issues and reduced grip, made it harder for him to consistently perform at his best.
