Vinales says new Yamaha chassis is not suited to his style

Maverick Vinales has admitted Yamaha’s new chassis, which the team brought to the Dutch TT following a positive test with it at Barcelona, does not suit his riding style and contributed to his race-ending crash at Assen.

Following a difficult Catalunya Grand Prix, in which both Vinales and team-mate Valentino Rossi struggled to 10^th and eighth in the high heat, Yamaha brought a new chassis to the post-race test in an attempt to cure their woes.

The feedback from both riders was positive, but Vinales later admitted that the new frame does not allow him to be as ‘aggressive’ as he would like compared to the chassis he used in the winter and in the early races.

“The new bike we brought in Assen has a lot of potential, but maybe isn’t the best for my riding style because I’m used to being really aggressive,” Vinales revealed.

“The chassis I rode in the first part of the season gave me a little bit more confidence to be aggressive on the bike, especially on changing direction it was really stable, and then quickly on the gas.

“That’s what I feel more comfortable (with).

“On the new bike we have many areas we can improve, so we have to make the correct choice (of chassis).”

Asked about his Assen crash, which at the time he branded the ‘strangest’ of his racing career, Vinales admitted that he pushed too hard in his pursuit of the leaders after starting from a season-worst 11^th.

The Spaniard said that he tried to change direction quicker than what the bike was capable of during the second phase of cornering at Assen’s infamous Geert Timmer chicane, and asked for the power a little too early.

“We analyse, but it looks like I changed direction too fast for the Yamaha with too much power.

“I was aggressive because I wanted to close the gap, because the laps were coming really fast, and I put too much gas.

“I went first to the wheelie and then I went fast to change the direction. The bike didn’t have the correct balance to change direction.

“It never happened to me to crash at the chicane, especially on the exit.”