KTM and Viñales at loggerheads: his health remains a mystery

KTM and Maverick Vinales have been at loggerheads for some time now. Certain statements by the Spanish rider did not sit well at all with the factory team’s management and Tech3 boss Guenther Steiner. The injury and ensuing layoff further complicate the situation and shroud the MotoGP athlete’s future in mystery...

The Maverick Vinales affair is a major talking point in the paddock this Silverstone weekend. The rider from Roses was unable to travel to Great Britain after doctors discovered a previously undetected shoulder injury during the summer break. While awaiting further tests, Guenther Steiner spoke about this unusual situation. The medical picture seems very uncertain, and the team awaits the specialists’ opinion. The Italian-American head of the Tech3 satellite team tried to pour oil on troubled waters. "This situation came about and no one chose it, not even him, to be honest. The underlying issue is that there’s a health problem with his shoulder. I don’t know the exact details; I’m not a doctor."

The team seems unaware of Vinales’s true physical condition. And his participation in the second half of the MotoGP season remains uncertain. "For me, the most important thing is that he regains his health for his own good. Whether he returns to riding a bike or not, he must first recover physically, and then we’ll see. That’s the situation. I believe it’s now up to the doctors to get him back in shape," Steiner told reporters. Words that do not rule out the possibility of not seeing Maverick again this season—or beyond—given that he hasn’t found a free seat for 2027.

The Tech3 boss also wanted to clarify his role in recent weeks. Many of the conversations regarding Vinales take place directly between KTM, the rider, and his entourage, since the contractual relationship is managed by the parent company. "I’ve always told you I’m not involved in what happens on a day-to-day basis. Obviously Pol is racing here, but we all hope Maverick can recover his health."

The situation is particularly complicated because not even the doctors have established a definitive therapy yet. It’s precisely this uncertainty that most surprises Steiner, who says he has never found himself in a similar situation. "Normally you know what the person has and what needs to be done. But right now we really don’t know; not even the doctors can decide what to do. I’ve never had to deal with anything like this before."

Finally, the fateful question: will we see Maverick Vinales again in this MotoGP season? "We have to wait and see. I don’t think a decision has been made yet on what to do, and I don’t want to overstep my area of expertise regarding the situation. For this reason I won’t comment further, because I’m not a doctor. Even if I were, I still wouldn’t talk about it, because they have to resolve the matter with him."

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