Maverick Vinales has explained the re💫asons behind his decision to stay at Yamaha on an extended factory contract which ties him to the team unt🔥il at the end of 2022.

Fresh from unveiling Monster Yamaha’s 2020 MotoGP colours at Sepang ahead of the pre-season test, Vinales’s new contract became the first in a series of headline-grabbing rider deals from Yamaha culminating in Fabio Quartararo effectivel🎃y replacing Valentino Rossi at the factory team from 2021 with Jorge Lorenzo hired as test rider for this year.

With Vinales becoming the focal point of Yamaha’s shake-up, the Spaniard says he has “three opportꦬunities to win the title” after settling his future 🍌with the Iwata factory.

The 25-year-old is Yamaha’s only🗹 MotoGP race-winner over the past two-and-a-h🏅alf years and since overhauling his pit crew he feels confident of a title attack with the upgrades arriving from Yamaha midway through last season.

Despite his positivity, Vinales freely admits his decision to stay at Yamaha wasn’t clear-cut 🐻especially with repor𒀰ted interest from Ducati.

“It was not ꧟easy. Because I needed to clarify many points from Yamaha, which in previous years I didn’t feel very good,” Vinales said. “But finall🎉y, I felt good in Yamaha, I felt a lot of support from Yamaha in the last month and especially after the summer break. Which I also changed a little bit my mentality and my positiveness into good results.

“For sure it was difficult, but I think that now we have created a strong team. Every memb🌌er counts a lot for me, and this makes a lot of weight in my decision, my you💧ng team.

“We created a good atmosphere, which I didn't want to break, because I feel really good inside the team, and I enjoy racing, which is most important. And that was one of the biggest reasons why I stayed in Yamah𒁏a.

“It was very important for me to have my own team, because I felt really good. Now all the people I have inside the team understan𒁏d what I need, so we are communicating very well, and we are in a good way. I never had that in previous years. Last year we created that, and I think this year I feel much more ready than in previous years.”

With his future sorted, Vinales has turned the spotlight on his own performances as he looks to extract the maximum fro✤m Yamaha’s updated M1 with a new engine specification aimed at delivering greater power and top speed.

“When I finished the championship, this year is a good opportunity for me,” Vinales explained. “Because we have improved a lot, I 🍬have my team, and I am fully committed to be able to fight for the championship. I feel now that I’m ready. Physically, mentally, with the team, I think we can do it.

“I was not thinking too much about whether to leave or to stay, I was just focusing on myself, trying to be better. To be around th🌠e people who will♉ help me improve, and I was not really thinking about moving or not moving teams.

“I felt good support from Yamaha and we went to the factory, we sa🐷w very positive things, and after we signed the contrac♛t.

“And now I have three opportunities to win the title, to try as hard as I can.🐼 So I’m going𝓀 to take advantage of this, and we’re going to be fully committed to do it.”