As Maverick “Top gun” vinales trys pushing his
Yamaha past the Danger Zone…
Cannot remember why I missed the Styrian Grand
Prix, albeit think it was due to it being shown way late at night here
Stateside, and I didn’t feel like bothering, since strangely I was more
interested in listening to the Speed Freaks take upon that Debacle at Mother Speedway
known as Kerb Gate!
By now, if you pay Attenzione to MotoGP, then
you know that the news still Buzzing round Ye Globe is what has been called
Maverick Vinales Meltdown! Although having long ago nicknamed him top gun, I
prefer saying Maverick Flamed Out!
When the 26yr old Spaniard apparently triedDetonating
his Yamahopper’s YZR-M1 engine by Upshifting to 5th Gear and leaving
the straining motor revving away relentlessly! Which apparently didn’t work,
since Motorsport Magazine’s Crack Journo’
Matt Oxley notes, with the abundance of today’s complex electronics, it’s
practically impossible to simply Blow Up an MotoGP engine these days!
Whilst Matt Oxley opines in his article titled MotoGP:
Maverick vinales Meltdown, was it really So Bad? The last Yamaha lump’ he can
recall being “Done Blown Up!” Is Thee doctor’s, nee Valentino Rossi’s engine
going Kuh-Blammoe in 2016 due to a miss-programmed Rev limiter…
As Oxley brilliantly notes that these sorts of
Hijinxs aren’t new, noting how both eventual World Champions Freddie Spencer
and Kevin Schwantz and both attempted doing the exact same thin to their respective
Honda and Suzuki mounts! With Spencer not being able to see in the Dark and
finally succeeding in making the Honda’s engine seize up with All the Oil-lines
blowing off the engine to his Chief Mechanic’s approval in the 1980’s!
Whilst Schwantz and Co-Rider Doug Chandler
tried a similar tactic during a Suzuka 8 Hours race in ’92 after they noticed
how “Dog Slow” their Suzuki GSX-R750’s engine was. With Oxley noting that Rider
Meltdowns are nothing new, pointing out how Four times World Champion “Steady Eddie”
Lawson once threw traffic cones in disgust at Trackside Marshals, and “So It
goes!”
Ontrack Off Road Magazine’s Neil Morrison has
an even more interesting take upon the Maverick Vinales Meltdown, one that made
me immediately think of Golden child,nee Sir Lewis or simply known as Lewis
Hamilton. As Morrison suggests that Maverick’s issues may stem from having a toxic
relationship with his father Angel, who’s been blaming Yamaha for ruining his
son’s career for the last five years and also cut ties with Yamaha for his
Super Sport team just prior to Maverick’s suspension, and then immediate termination
from the Japanese Marque.
Since I recall that Hamilton cut his ties to
his father Anthony, who I think was his manager initially during his McLaren
days. While Morrison notes how two current MotoGP Stars Fabio Quartaro and Marc
Marquez deal with their fathers, most notably with Marquez saying he’s only
allowed to ask two Questions: How are you and How’s the Arm?
And whilst Yamaha Test Rider Cal Crutchlow will
race in Vinales place at this weekend’s British Grand Prix, with fellow Moto2 Briton
Jake Simpson making his MotoGP debut for the Satellite Petronas SRT team, where
Crutchlow’s currently been substituting for the injured Franco Morbidelli.
Moto Matters David Emmitt has written that it’s
not known whether or not the 35yr old Crutchlow will replace Vinales for the
final seven MotoGP Rounds or whether or not Yamaha will try to move either of
Petronas Yamaha SRT Riders Valentino Rossi or Morbidelli up to the Factory team
instead?
Although some Scuttlebutt suggest that Morbidelli
will indeed move up to the Factory Yamaha team shortly or the rest of the
season, prior to his planned 2022 promotion, and that former Ducati rider Dovi’,
nee Andrea Dovizioso will take over Morbidelli’s seat for the remainder of the
year…
Meanwhile Vinales has already announced his
being signed by Aprilia for 2022, and with his termination from Yamaha is free to
ride for the Italian concern whenever he wishes too.
It's also Old News that The Doctor, nee Valentino
Rossi has announced his retirement from MotoGP at season’s end, since obviously
things aren’t going well for the 42yr old Italian Rider, since MotoGP is most
definitely a Young Man’s Sport.
While couple this with the news that first
Petronas, the Malaysian State owned Petrolium company announced they’re pulling
out of MotoGP at season’s end, and that Petronas Yamaha SRT, theSepang
International Circuit Yamaha Satellite Squad is also Quitting MotoGP, along with
the two lower tiers, i.e.; Moto2 and Moto3 at season’s end, and suddenly there’s
Ah-Plenty’ going on for the 2022 Silly Season!
As factions of the current SRT Team are reportedly set to announce their intentions at the upcoming San Marino Grand Prix at Misano, which makes me wonder if the Dovizioso rumor’s true, will they be switching Manufacturers? Or will they remain as the Satellite Yamaha Squad with an All New Rider lineup for 2022?
