Monster Energy Yamaha Team in MotoGP have faced back-to-back weekends with unfavourable results. Maverick Vinales was competing at the Styrian Grand Prix on August 30th when his YZR-M1 had its brakes explode at 230km/h. Determining that his motorcycle wouldn’t sustain future laps without crashing into the barriers, Maverick Vinales leapt from his vehicle & slide against the track on his back.
Concerns were already present for Monster Energy Yamaha Team, as Maverick Vinales raised his hand in the initial laps of this race. It suggested that his breaks were starting to lock-up & from there on, Vinales knew that the Styrian Grand Prix wouldn’t last long for himself. Turn one into Styrian on the 17th lap saw Maverick’s brakes fail in the braking zone, forcing the driver to leap or face severe collision.
Moments later, the YZR-M1 was destroyed into dozens of pieces after spinning into an “Air-Fence”. It forced the Styrian Grand Prix to stop for 10+ minutes but saw one of MotoGP’s top motorcyclists come out unscathed. Most bikers wouldn’t find themselves without injury after leaping from their vehicle, showing the talent Vinales has acquired over the last half-decade.
Questions Answered
MotoGP reporters asked Maverick Vinales when issues with his breaking began, where the Yamaha driver revealed the problem started on the 3rd lap & that he knew catastrophic failure was inevitable. Statements made by Vinales emphasized that brake pressure was dropping quickly, forcing his braking turns to become expansive. This caused his lap times to become lower than expected & for other competitors to pass easily. Maverick mentioned that his positioning could have improved without Fabio & Valentino pressuring him, eventually overtaking him the moment that his brakes exploded.
Multiple drivers competing behind Maverick Vinales noted that small pieces of his motorcycle were coming off with each passing lap, creating minor debris on the track. Repsol Honda’s Alex Marquez evoked that from his perspective, it appeared that fallen debris was coming from the front brake. It’s expected that Monster Energy Yamaha will implement a full investigation with their engineers before next Sunday.