Maverick Vinales will welcome Fabio Quartararo next campaign when the two line up together on the MotoGP for Monster Energy Yamaha.
Following a delay due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 MotoGP season got underway last weekend and it was Petronas Yamaha SRT's Quartararo who got off to a fast start by winning the Spanish Grand Prix for his first race triumph.
After debuting last year, the 21-year-old has had a fast rise and is signed to the Yamaha Factory team on a two-year deal beginning next season -- where he will substitute legendary rider Valentino Rossi.
Although he finished second to Quartararo at the Spanish GP, Vinales said he is looking forward to teaming up with the young rider.
"I just want to say congratulation [to Quartararo] because it's not easy to win a MotoGP race," said Vinales, who overcame a few nervous moments in Jerez. "For me, it's fantastic to have Fabio on the team so we can improve the bike and we can be better in every race."
Quartararo struggled to contain his emotions after securing the victory to become the first Frenchman to win a major MotoGP race since 1996.
He also expressed sympathy for defending champion Marc Marquez of Honda, who crashed out with four laps remaining.
Marquez fell down the grid after going off track in Turn 4 on the fifth lap but managed to stay on his bike. The Spaniard then produced a stunning comeback to move to third place and looked set to overtake Vinales before he crashed at the same corner.
Honda confirmed on Sunday that Marquez broke his right arm and will undergo surgery on Tuesday. It is unclear how long his recovery will take.
"The grip was really bad," Quartararo said. "Maverick had a big moment in Turn 8 in the first lap, he had another moment in Turn 6, then Marc had the moment in Turn 4.
