Marco Bezzecchi
Jorge Lorenzo made the trip to the first pre-season test of the 2026 season in Sepang this week, as the MotoGP legend went trackside to help Tech3 rider Maverick Vinales.
Three-time MotoGP champion Lorenzo reached an agreement with Vinales last November to become his Spanish compatriot’s performance coach. Vinales sought out Lorenzo’s aid with physical, strategic and technical aspects after his season collapsed in 2025 after an injury.
Vinales quickly showed promise on the RC16 after joining Tech3 on a two-year factory KTM contract in 2025. But the 31-year-old’s season hit freefall after he broke his shoulder after a highside during qualifying for the German Grand Prix, as he returned before it fully healed.
It marked the first major injury of Vinales’ career and ultimately forced him to sit out a total of eight Grands Prix between rounds 11 and 21. But Vinales put any lingering concerns over his shoulder to bed at the 2026 Sepang test, as he showed a lot of speed on the RC16 again.
Predict the order of the KTM riders in the 2026 MotoGP standings
Jorge Lorenzo feels Pedro Acosta fears Maverick Vinales being the top KTM rider in 2026
Factory KTM star Pedro Acosta and Tech3 ace Vinales ranked eighth and ninth in the overall timesheets at the 2026 Sepang test, with personal-best lap times of 1:57.116 and 1:57.126. But not everything was rosy behind the scenes in Malaysia, as Lorenzo saw some “tension”.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Maverick Vinales from career stats to net worth
Lorenzo believes there was “tension” between Acosta and Vinales in Sepang, as the former fears the latter will be a stronger rider in 2026 now that he has gained Lorenzo’s help. Their growing rivalry also comes amid claims that Vinales is set to replace Acosta at KTM in 2027.
“There’s tension because they see that they are at a similar level,” Lorenzo told Duralavita. “I suppose Pedro is aware that Maverick will have my help and will become stronger, and Maverick has a lot of respect for Pedro.
“So, there’s tension. The relationship isn’t the same. I mean, Maverick does not have the same relationship with [Brad] Binder and [Enea] Bastianini as he does with Pedro. There’s a bit more tension with Pedro, as is to be expected.”
KTM’s plan to replace Pedro Acosta with Maverick Vinales adds another layer to their rivalry
KTM are said to have already told Vinales that they will promote him from Tech3 in the 2027 MotoGP season, as the Austrian squad are thought to have lost all hope that Acosta will sign a new contract. There are increasing reports that Acosta is set to sign with Ducati for 2027.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Pedro Acosta from net worth to girlfriend
Prove them wrong: KTM think Maverick Vinales is the best replacement for Pedro Acosta
Their paths crossing will add another dimension to the growing rivalry between Vinales and Acosta in 2026. The former will want to show KTM that he can pick up the 21-year-old’s role as their team leader, and the latter will want to leave having shown he is the best KTM rider.
Acosta and Vinales sat on 98 and 69 points as the top two KTM riders in the 2025 standings through 10 rounds, before the latter then sustained his shoulder injury during round 11 last year. The 2025 season was Acosta’s second year on the KTM RC16 and Vinales’ first with it.
While Acosta did not get his first Grand Prix podium of 2025 until the Czech GP in round 12, Vinales also came close to reaching the rostrum in Qatar during round four. A tyre pressure infringement stripped Vinales of his P2 finish in the 2025 Qatar GP, as Acosta inherited P8.
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