Maverick Viñales considers stepping away: “I have no motivation to continue.”

Maverick Viñales has reached a crossroads. After the Qatar weekend, the KTM rider admitted that he no longer has the motivation to race under these conditions and put a concrete possibility on the table: stopping before the end of the season if next week’s tests reveal an injury.

It’s not just the final races of 2026 at stake, but also his future in MotoGP in 2027. At Lusail, the Spaniard completed both the Sprint and the main race, but his physical condition shows no signs of improving. On the contrary, according to the rider himself, the pain gets worse with every race. It’s a problem he has been dealing with for some time: Viñales suffered a complex shoulder injury in a crash at last year’s German GP.

Just reaching the finish line was an achievement, as he told Motosan at the end of the weekend. "Yes, it was very tough. But it was also difficult because I have to use my right arm a lot, so I’m starting to feel a bit of arm pump. Still, I’m quite happy because I managed to finish the race. We had a good pace in the middle part of the race, which I wasn’t expecting. Then I tried to fight my way back up, but it was very difficult."

The priority now is to find out what’s wrong. "My plan is to see the doctor next week, have every test possible, including an MRI, and find out what’s going on. Because clearly something must be broken or there must be some kind of problem, since I’m not getting any better," he explained. "I don’t feel like I’m improving; in fact, I’m in even more pain. So there’s definitely something wrong inside."

Viñales didn’t mince his words when discussing the possibility of taking a break. "If I have something broken, I’ll stop, because there’s no point carrying on. I can’t get any better, you know what I mean? And I don’t like being back there. I hate every lap I spend in that situation." Asked about his future in motorcycle racing, he added: "For now, nothing. I have no motivation to carry on. Because if I’m like this, there’s no point getting on a bike at 50%. I don’t feel good inside."

In his view, there are two options: surgery or a gradual recovery at home with the right rehabilitation. "If that’s not possible, then I’ll stop, because it’s very difficult," he concluded.

For now, the Spanish rider doesn’t want to jump to any conclusions. First, he needs a clear diagnosis and a precise understanding of his recovery options, whether that means surgery or a rehabilitation program. Portugal and Valencia remain on the calendar, but Viñales’ participation in the final two rounds—and, beyond that, his future in MotoGP—will depend on the results of the tests in the coming days.

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