MotoGP: Yamaha boss Jarvis says ‘we were right to sign Mav early’

Yamaha MotoGP boss Lin Jarvis has hit back at critics who’ve said that their deal to extend Maverick Viñales’ deal by two years came far too early for both rider and team. Announcing an extension to his contract back in January, the continuing problems that he’s suffered in testing has left people questioning that call.

But the hugely experienced team boss says that people criticising them are simply being short sighted, and that Yamaha’s ambitions extend far beyond the current season.

“When you sign a contract, you’re not signing it for the now – you sign it to show that you have confidence that working with your partners, you can achieve your goals. I think that’s why maverick made his decision, and we don’t intend to leave him disappointed. We were left a little short in the in a lot races of last year and winter testing has been troubling, but I’m happy with the results.

“Valentino achieved a podium in hot, tough conditions and we saw Maverick fight back and set very fast lap times. despite the issues at the beginning of the race, which is sometimes something that he does to himself. That bodes well for the future, and Sunday was a pretty good result considering some of the hard times that we’ve been through recently. We’re there and on our day, we’re as competitive as anyone else, and we just have to hold that and be fast in every condition and on every day.”