Maverick Vinales is almost certainly competing in his final MotoGP season – the only question is whether he returns after the summer break.
At the age of 31, Vinales has said he doesn’t want to race elsewhere if he loses his place on the grid. Given the state of his relationship with KTM, the scarcity of vacancies elsewhere and his lack of fitness, that looks inevitable.
Vinales feels betrayed by KTM, who apparently withdrew an offer to make him a factory rider in 2027 amid his ongoing shoulder problems. His comments at the German GP, where he accused the team of giving him no support, raise doubts over the immediate future of the partnership.
What should KTM do with Maverick Vinales after his public outbursts?
Maverick Vinales never fulfilled the potential shown in Moto3
Whether Vinales sees out the season or not, the end is coming. And with it, the debates over his career will ensue.
‘Top Gun’ is the only MotoGP rider to win with three different manufacturers. He ranks inside the top 25 all-time for premier class victories (10) and just outside the top 20 for podiums (35).
The 2013 Moto3 champion, who took a record-breaking 15 podiums in 17 races en route to the title, also finished third in the championship twice during Marc Marquez’s dominant period at Honda.
But there is an inescapable sense of what might have been, a feeling that Vinales’ talent isn’t truly reflected in his results, as impressive as they are.
As pointed out by Gazzetta dello Sport, Vinales was heralded as ‘the new Valentino Rossi‘ when he broke into the class. They ended up being teammates at Yamaha between 2017 and 2020.
How would you rate Maverick Vinales’ MotoGP career if he retires after 2026?
Vinales’ time at Yamaha infamously ended when he was accused of deliberately damaging his engine at the 2020 Styrian GP.
For ex-LCR boss Oscar Haro, Vinales’ ‘personality’ stopped him becoming a world champion at the highest level.
Jorge Lorenzo, briefly his coach at the start of the year, said Vinales’ obstacles were ‘70% mental’ and ‘30% technical’.
Others would argue that he was unbeatable on his day, but lacked the consistency of the truly elite riders.
His stint at Tech3 started with so much promise, even if he lost a podium in Qatar due to a tyre-pressure penalty. KTM saw him as the only rider who could reach Pedro Acosta’s level.
But that potential was never realised. The partnership with Lorenzo was supposed to unlock the beast within, but ended up petering out with no explanation.
Even if injury was ultimately Vinales’ undoing at KTM, the last 18 months arguably sum up his MotoGP career.
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