No imminent Michelin testing for Maverick Vinales

MotoGP rookie Maverick Vinales will not participate in next week’s crucial Michelin test at the Sepang track in Malaysia.

And Suzuki has confirmed the 2013 Moto3 world champion will not take part in any Michelin tyre testing on the new factory GSX-RR in the first half of 2015.

Suzuki is reluctant to have the highly rated Spaniard briefly switch tyre brands while he is still adapting to the heavier and more powerful MotoGP machine and learning Bridgestone tyres.

Vinales could test Michelin tyres in Mugello and Brno during the season, but Suzuki team boss Davide Brivio told MCN: “We have no plans to test Maverick with Michelin in Sepang and possibly for the whole season.  He is learning and there is no point to put him for only one day on a different tyre brand and back again on Bridgestone. It can be confusing, so it is better he concentrates on what he has to learn for 2015. We will decide later in the season, but for sure Maverick won’t test for Michelin in the first half of the season. We will test for Michelin with Aleix (Espargaro) and get his comments because it is easier for him with more experience.”

Next Thursday’s Michelin test is the first time the likes of Marc Marquez, Valentino Rossi and Cal Crutchlow will have the opportunity to test Michelin rubber ahead of the French tyre brand replacing Bridgestone as MotoGP’s official supplier in 2016.