until Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League
Yamaha’s new 2021 MotoGP line-up of Fabio Quartararo and Maverick Vinales have unveiled a largely-unchanged 2021 Monster Energy Yamaha YZR-M1 machine this morning online, as the duo prepare for their first MotoGP season as teammates.
The colours were unveiled in what will go down as one of the most unusual team launches in recent history, as Vinales and Quartararo took to a virtual green-screen pit box reminiscent of an early PlayStation 2 game to eventually show off the bike after a drawn-out presentation of team personnel and sponsors.
The livery, concocted by veteran Valentino Rossi designer Aldo Drudi, retains 2020’s blue and black colour scheme for the third season in succession, as the Japanese manufacturer merges both their own colours and those of the American energy drinks giant.
The 2021 season marks an important milestone for the factory team as they line up without Rossi for the first time in over a decade, with Quartararo bringing an infusion of new blood to the team after a disappointing season for the Iwata brand in 2020.
That’s something that team boss Lin Jarvis admitted while speaking at today’s launch, conceding that 2021’s M1 needs improvements if his two riders are to be title contenders in the coming year.
“We know Maverick has the speed – there’s no question about that,” the veteran boss said.
“We had inconsistency last year, we have to rule them out, we have to find solutions. When Maverick is on form, he’s hard to beat, but when he has an off day – which is sometimes due to our bike – we have to keep him up.
“I’m confident that next year’s technical package will be strong, and we want to work in the garage to be better too.
“I have a lot of confidence in Fabio because it’ll be his third year in MotoGP.
“He’s still very young but he’s had two very good seasons, and last year he won as many races as any other pilot. He has the experience and the raw speed, and moving into the factory team will bring him more support.
“I don’t think it’ll bring him more pressure, and I believe it’ll help us to show his full potential.”
“We need to provide the riders with a package that’s able to be more consistent throughout the season. Another thing that everyone in the team needs to do is to leave no stone unturned – we need to look at every detail.
“The difference between first and 15th is less than a second in MotoGP, and we need to look at every detail and to improve in every area.”
