TARDOZZI DENIES DUCATI TEST-RIDER TALKS WITH VIÑALES

Maverick Viñales’ future in MotoGP remains uncertain, with Ducati team boss Davide Tardozzi rejecting speculation that the Spaniard is being lined up as a test rider while acknowledging that Ducati will eventually need to plan for the future.

Viñales signed a two-year deal with Tech3 for 2025, but had expected to move into Red Bull KTM’s factory team. After that opportunity fell through, he also turned away from staying with Tech3, believing he had lost the place and a hoped-for pay rise. The 31-year-old is now without a confirmed ride for next season.

His options have also been complicated by a shoulder injury sustained at the 2025 German Grand Prix. Although he has officially been declared fit to ride, he has yet to recapture the form he showed earlier in the year.

Rumours linking him to Ducati gathered pace during the Asian leg of the season after Viñales and Tardozzi were seen walking together at Motegi. Tardozzi told GPone that the encounter reflected a personal connection, not a recruitment discussion. “I have had a close relationship with Viñales for a long time,” he said, adding that the rider’s masseur is a childhood friend of his son. “There is a friendship, and people saw us walking from the offices to the hospitality area in Motegi — that is how this rumour started. As far as I am concerned, my relationship with Maverick goes beyond work.”

Tardozzi did concede that Ducati will need to consider its longer-term staffing. Michele Pirro is getting older, and the team may need another person in the future, he said. But he stressed that no candidate or plan has been settled: “We have absolutely nothing decided, agreed or even thought through.”

A Ducati test role is one possibility for Viñales, though not the only one. Aprilia could also be a natural fit: he spent more than three years with the Noale manufacturer from late 2021 and won with it in Austin in 2024. The team has Lorenzo Savadori as its main tester, with Matteo Baiocco sometimes helping with functional tests, so additional support could be useful.

Yamaha and KTM appear less likely destinations given Viñales’ past disputes with both manufacturers, while Honda already has test riders Takaaki Nakagami and Pol Espargaró under contract. Espargaró, who is close to Viñales, is still recovering from a serious back injury.

For now, Viñales’ immediate priority is to demonstrate that he can ride quickly and consistently without pain. His next opportunity to make an impression on Tardozzi and Ducati is expected at the final Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island.