Vinales: Perfect situation if MotoGP completes second part of season

Maverick Vinales says it would be “the perfect situation” for him if MotoGP organisers pull together the second part of the regular season, while Monster Energy Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi would prefer a shorter season made up of the “best circuits”.

Speaking on a Yamaha Q&A video, both factory riders discussed the prospect of starting the 2020 season having been kept up to date with developments on the reshuffled campaign through both their team and Dorna chief Carmelo Ezpeleta.

While Dorna is exploring all options, including double races and closed-door events, both riders would prefer conventional formats with a shorter season starting in August when safe to do so following the coronavirus pandemic.

Vinales, whose MotoGP record shows stronger results at tracks towards the end of the traditional calendar, backs the idea of using the second half of the season as a condensed 2020 campaign.

Last year Vinales claimed wins at Assen and Sepang plus podiums at Sachsenring, Silverstone, Misano and Thailand in a resurgent second part of the year. Heading into the Assen round Vinales was outside of top 10 in the 2019 riders’ world championship with 40 points but went on to surge up to third place in the final riders’ standings with a total of 211 points.

“For me it will be good if we can make the second part of the season that will be the perfect situation,” Vinales said. “It will be difficult if we need to race two times at the same track as for me it would be so strange because the results could change a lot. Double races, I don’t know, it could be interesting but we are not used to it.

“The perfect situation would be to race the second part of the season.”

Rossi, who accepts he will have to decide his MotoGP future before the 2020 season starts, says he’d prefer a redrawn race calendar which goes to “the best circuits around the world” at times when the ideal weather conditions would be available – which would probably mean finishing the season with flyaway races in December.

“For me the best way is to start in August or September and try to make 10 or 12 races in the best circuits around the world when they have the best conditions,” Rossi said. “Start in September and finish in December using Australia or Thailand where it is hot in December.

“I hope not to have multiple races at the same track and also I don’t like double races in the same weekend like in Superbikes. For me, it is better to make eight real weekends or 10 or 12 if it is good to do so at the best tracks.

“Also if the doors are closed it is a big shame for everybody as we race for the fans but it is better to race with the doors closed than having no races.”

Rossi would also opt for a short ‘pre-season’ test at the same venue as the first race to allow riders to get back up to speed after a prolonged stoppage. All MotoGP riders have not been on track since the final pre-season test in Qatar back in February 22-24, while the Moto2 and Moto3 classes have been out of action since the Qatar Grand Prix on March 6-8.

“It will be difficult physically because we need to train a lot to be ready,” Rossi said. “I hope before the first race we can do another small test maybe at the same track for maybe like two days because if not it is a very, very long time that we are not on track so maybe we are not ready for FP1 straightaway.”

While Vinales didn’t say he was against a pre-event test, he feels it wouldn’t be essential for him to prepare for the 2020 season.

“You don’t lose the feeling, I think one thing I am doing well is that I can be two months without the bike and I have the same feeling which is very positive,” Vinales said. “Also for us we have many bikes we can train on so it is not like we need to be on the M1 to train.

“Of course going on track with the M1 is totally different but at least you having the feeling and the speed and the braking. As soon as you jump on to the M1 it could take one or two laps but when you push and the tyres are up to temperature you can go fast.”

As things stand the 2020 MotoGP season is scheduled to start at Sachsenring on June 21, but the German round remains in doubt along with both the subsequent races in the Netherlands and the new Finland event due to restrictions on public events in the respective countries.

MotoGP is yet to officially confirm a postponement for Sachsenring, Assen or KymiRing but is currently understood to be aiming for a best-case scenario of around ten races this season, with some taking place behind closed doors.