Rumor Has It: Yamaha Is Considering Jake Gagne For MotoGP
Things are looking blue for Team Blue.
Following Maverick Viñales expected exit from team blue following the 2021 MotoGP season, Yamaha is now considering a new replacement from MotoAmerica, Jake Gagne.
Yamaha accused Viñales of trying to break the engine of his M1 race bike. The dramatic turn of events led to a suspension in the Austrian GP and an apology from the Spaniard. Viñales will also not return to the team in the coming season, instead, he signed on with Aprilia.
Team Blue is in need of two riders following the retirement of Valentino Rossi, and the need to replace Franco Morbidelli. Things are not looking good for the 2022 season as Petronas announced that they will no longer be the title sponsor for the factory racing team.
Everything seems to be taking a turn for the worse, and the team needs to act to secure riders for the next season. Younger riders are being considered, but the lack of experience in handling a MotoGP bike is the topmost concern that is being thrown around.
The Yamaha Drama:
Jake Gagne, who just recently took his 13th consecutive win in Pittsburgh, is now one of the top prospects for the GP team. He has competed in Spanish Moto2, Red Bull AMA Rookies Cup, and won the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup in 2010. He was also an AMA Pro Daytona Sportbike champion in 2013, a MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 champion in 2015, and was a competitor in the MotoAmerica Superbike championship from 2016 to 2017.
As it stands, Gagne has racked up quite the resume of races, enough to raise Yamaha’s eyebrow. All of his accolades are on top of his exploits in the World Superbike (WSBK) Championship.
So the question is now posed, “will Yamaha bring him on board?” Could he move from his current series to the most premier motorcycle racing league in the world? Time will tell, and Yamaha seems to be running out of options.
Sources: MotoAmerica, GPOne
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