Maverick Vinales reportedly advised Yamaha against making any changes to the bike during his unsuccessful championship season.

Maverick Vinales, Yamaha Factory Racing, 2017 French MotoGP

View pictures in App save up to 80% data.

Maverick Vinales, Yamaha Factory Racing, 2017 French MotoGP © Gold and Goose

Maverick Vinales has indicated that he believes he could have claimed the MotoGP world championship in 2017 with Yamaha, had they not altered the 2016 M1 model he first tested.

Following a little more than a season with Suzuki, Vinales secured a two-year contract to join the factory Yamaha team for his third year in the top tier of motorcycle racing in 2017.

In the 2016 Valencia test, Vinales emerged as the fastest rider aboard that year's M1, going on to secure victories in the first two races of 2017. He later clinched a third win at the French Grand Prix, where he faced off against his teammate Valentino Rossi in a thrilling contest.

The Spaniard held a 17-point lead in the standings at that point, but Vinales wouldn't secure another victory until the 2018 Australian GP, resulting in him dropping to third place in the 2017 standings.

Vinales stayed with Yamaha until the middle of 2021, at which point his rapport with the company deteriorated beyond repair. He was promptly dismissed after it was discovered that he had intentionally over-revved the engine of his M1 during the Styrian GP.

In a DAZN documentary featuring his journey, Vinales expressed his belief that he had the potential to clinch the championship with the M1 he tested in late 2016, urging Yamaha to “leave it as it is” during the winter months.

"When I started at Yamaha, I hit the ground running," he remarked.

"I came with a definite vision and a specific goal, and that was all I requested from Yamaha: 'My aim is to become a world champion.'"

"I have no desire to be anything other than this; please don’t try to change me, as I am completely content with who I am and have no interest in anything beyond it."

"The moment I hopped on the Yamaha during the Valencia test, I was instantly smitten. I requested them to leave it as it was. This was the bike that Jorge [Lorenzo] had ridden, and I wanted it just like that."

“I told Yamaha, ‘Deliver this bike to Qatar; I’m going to win the world championship with it.’ But when I arrived at Sepang for the pre-season test, I asked, ‘Where is that bike?’”

“I won the first race, I won the second, I won at Le Mans, it was one of the best days of my life, I won a battle against my idol, Valentino Rossi.

"However, in Barcelona, a surge of transformations took place. I found myself completely lost."

"I warned them to stay away from the bike."

Vinales signed with Aprilia for the last races of 2021 and stayed with the team until the conclusion of 2024, securing a victory in one grand prix during his tenure.

He will be joining KTM's Tech3 team for the 2025 season, expressing his thoughts on the transition: “I’ve realized that there are two paths to choose from: either you become the contender or you venture into the unknown.”

"You're either heading to KTM or you're off to Ducati."

"Winning at Ducati is quite a challenge. What strategies do you have in mind to outpace the official team?"

"It's quite intricate; you possess the same bike, yet the weapons differ. Therefore, my only choice was to head to KTM and take on the role of the challenger."