Maverick Vinales wants KTM to honour one contract clause despite Qatar Grand Prix penalty

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Maverick Vinales lost his shock podium finish at the Qatar Grand Prix due to a tyre pressure infringement. The Tech3 rider tumbled from second all the way down to 14th.

Vinales came alive on the RC16 at the Lusail International Circuit, smashing his season best in qualifying by taking P6. That was even quicker than factory star Pedro Acosta, who has consistently been the standout KTM rider over a single lap.

Top Gun passed three of the top four in the championship (Marc Marquez, Francesco Bagnaia and Franco Morbidelli) to sensationally take the lead. A small mistake eventually let Marquez back through, but he’d still produced arguably the performance of the season.

However, Vinales was informed soon after the podium ceremony – his first visit to the rostrum since he won the 2024 Americas GP – that he’d received a severe 16-second penalty. He ultimately walked away with just two points.

Maverick Vinales still wants KTM podium bonus after Qatar Grand Prix penalty

Vinales signed a two-year deal with KTM after leaving Aprilia. The Austrian manufacturer view Tech3 as an extension of the factory squad, rather than a second-in-command team.

As is traditional in MotoGP, Vinales’ contract contains a clause whereby he receives a bonus for finishing on the podium. While he crossed the line second, the record books will show he was 14th.

However, the 30-year-old, whose salary isn’t publicly known, still hopes that KTM will pay out in recognition of his heroic performance. The company is in the midst of a financial crisis, but there’s no indication that bonus payments have been paused.

“Maverick Vinales took the penalty lightly and said that he hopefully will still get the bonus payment for this podium finish,” journalist Markus Zorweg said on the Motorsport-Magazin Motorrad YouTube channel.

Following Vinales’ disqualification, P7 (achieved by Enea Bastianini in Austin and Brad Binder in Argentina) remains KTM’s best result of the season.

MotoGP fans are furious with FIM over Maverick Vinales’ Lusail penalty

Neil Hodgson explained Vinales’ penalty with a compelling Tech3 theory. He reckons that the veteran exceeded their built-in expectations.

He shocked the entire pit lane by taking the lead, but that meant there was cool air on the tyre rather than the hot air that comes with following another bike. As such, the pressure dropped outside the legal window.

Back in Thailand, Marquez ceded the lead to his brother Alex for the very same reason. He’d received a warning on his Ducati bike.

MotoGP fans were furious that Vinales lost his podium, calling it ‘sickening’, ‘nonsense’ and ‘pathetic’. Acosta has called for the rules to be changed.