Maverick Vinales says the “most important thing” is to avoid Yamaha's first win-less MotoGP season since 2003, rather than switching focus to developing the 2019 bike.
Yamaha is currently in the midst of a 22-race losing streak dating back to Valentino Rossi's Assen success last season, and will officially enter its longest drought in the top class since it entered in 1973 should either Vinales or Rossi fail to secure victory on Sunday at Aragon.
With only six races remaining of the current campaign, Vinales feels winning this season should take priority over Yamaha putting its full focus into next year's M1.
“For me the most important thing is to try to make a victory this year, not focus on the next one [season] because next one [season] will arrive,” Vinales, fifth in the standings ahead of this weekend's Aragon race, said.
“We have to focus on now, on Friday, try to solve the problems we had in Misano, especially on the race.
“So focusing here especially to be the best I can on the bike, and fingers crossed in the race we can be there and try to win the race.”
Vinales ended the Misano race a distant fifth despite qualifying on the front row and displaying race-winning pace during practice.
Despite the loss in form on the Sunday, Vinales claims he was “really happy” after Misano as he felt “really good” with his bike from FP1, and feels the race did not show Yamaha's “potential”.
"Actually, after Misano I was really happy. The race didn't show our potential, I think we were able to make it much better.
“But anyway after Friday FP1 I was there, and I think I have this feeling also for here. I felt really good with the bike, the feeling with set-up, all the time I go on the bike I feel good.
“For me this is the most important thing, because you know we have some troubles. Everyone knows already, but we are working really hard.
“This weekend I hope we can show our potential on Sunday, because until the race in Misano I was there.”
Tests at Misano and Aragon prior to the San Marino weekend allowed Yamaha to explore set-up solutions to its troubled electronics, and Vinales says improvements in this area are now allowing him to “ride my way” again.
“Well actually I think we focus on the set-up of the electronics for my riding style, and that helps so much because I can ride my way, I can do the laptime.
“So I think it's the only change we did, trying to set up the electronics for my style. But still I think there is a lot of work to do.
“Like I said, the race [at Misano] didn't show our potential, we hope here to show what we can do.
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