Movistar Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales has given up hope of challenging for the 2019 MotoGP World Championship after getting knocked off three times so far this season.
Vinales says it’s ‘practically impossible’ to overhaul Marc Marquez in the chase for glory as he is a country mile behind the reigning champion.
“The championship is unfortunately already slipping away and it’s practically impossible to win it, so we are going to concentrate on finishing the season by getting as many podiums as possible, with an eye on the future and the next season,” said Vinales.
“After the test in Montmeló we arrive in Assen with high motivation. The test was very positive for us and confirmed the good feeling that I had at the last GP.
“I think we have achieved the best set-up of the season, as was also demonstrated in the Catalunya GP before the accident. I really want to get back on the M1 to confirm that the bike is working well and that we can be competitive.”
The Spaniard was taken out by an errant Jorge Lorenzo at Barcelona but was also subjected to nerfings from Franco Morbidelli in Argentina and Pecco Bagnaia at Le Mans.
Vinales is 100 points in arrears with 300 left available until the end of the season.