Maverick Viñales officially signs for Yamaha

Maverick Viñales has officially signed for the factory Yamaha team, partnering Valentino Rossi for the next two seasons.

The Ecstar Suzuki team announced early this morning that Viñales will be leaving at the end of the season, and the move to Yamaha was confirmed around 15 minutes later in a short statement by the factory Yamaha team.

Viñales’ move to Yamaha looked on the cards ever since Jorge Lorenzo’s move to Ducati was confirmed. There were intense negotiations which resulted in Viñales parting ways with former manager Aki Ajo in the process. Viñales had described the decision as the hardest of his life, weighing up a head versus heart decision over whether to move.

The contract was ultimately signed last weekend in Yamaha Racing’s Italian HQ just outside Milan.

The 21-year-old is currently sat fifth in the MotoGP World Championship standings and will attend this afternoons pre-event press conference to discuss his move further.

Photos via Suzuki-Racing.com