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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1388078
Confirmed: Vinales, Yamaha To Split At The End Of 2021 M averick Vinales will depart from the Monster Energy Yamaha team at the close of the 2021 season after both parties reached a mutual agreement, it has been confirmed. The Catalan's contract with the Iwata factory ran up to the end of 2022, but rising tensions inside the box, as well as a belief from the rider's end that the current malaise that has gripped him this year would not change unless a dramatic course of action was taken. An official statement from Yamaha read, "Following Mav- erick Vinales' request, Yamaha has agreed to put an early end to their current two-year contract. Currently in their fifth season together, they mutually decided to go their separate ways after this year. "Both parties are committed to putting in their maximum effort for the remainder of the 2021 MotoGP season and ending the relationship on a high note." It is believed the two parties came to this agreement on Friday evening at the Dutch TT, five days on from Vinales' disastrous out- ing in Germany, where he started the race from 21st and finished 17th and at the back of the field. On Thursday, he was still deeply troubled by the ordeal and told journalists he had "never been so angry in my life" at how the weekend had gone. The fact his teammate Fabio Quartararo, new to the team for 2021, has won four races, leads the Mo- toGP Championship by 34 points and has been the season's standout rider to date has only exacerbated matters. Not even a second-place fin- ish in Sunday's Dutch TT could mend the fractious relationship. If anything, it confirmed the ill- feeling from the rider's end. His words and body language on the podium and parc ferme hinted at irreparable differences. Asked if it was possible to show his full potential in his current team, he said, "No, it's not possible. We have many issues that will stay with me." Yamaha team boss Massimo Meregalli explained the frustra- tion from Yamaha's side. "To finish last for sure is not his position. Wednesday, when we started preparing this GP we checked some data. We also saw that during the race he was the fastest Yamaha in terms of fastest lap. The bike wasn't as bad as he pointed out. Here we said he would start leading FP1 and basically, he did. It's frustrating also for us to under- stand this kind of behavior. From the Sachsenring to here, the bike was changed a bit but not enough for this." It's believed Aprilia will be Vina- les' future destination. Pressed on this matter on Sunday, Aprilia Rac- IN THE WIND P24 Maverick Vinales and Yamaha will split at the end of the year. Could Aprilia be his next home?